Ronald Araujo is due to fly to Liverpool on Sunday to complete his move from Barcelona.
The Uruguay international will switch to the Premier League side on a season-long loan, after Hansi Flick told him he was not going to be one of his main options next season and would struggle to get minutes.
The defender was appointed captain so he was a key leader in the dressing room last season. However, he was also error prone and unreliable.
He was accused by fans and the media of being culpable for Barcelona’s exit to Inter Milan in the Champions League semi-finals in 2025, before also receiving a red card against Chelsea last season, forcing Flick’s side to play with 10 men for 45 minutes and lose badly to Chelsea.
Both occasions regrettably led to intense abuse and threats to his family, which culminated in him being given a midseason break by Barcelona to take care of his mental health. He returned in January, right in time to lift the Spanish Super Cup trophy in Jeddah.
Flick may admire Araujo’s leadership and connection with the other players, but informing his captain and one of the club’s highest earners that he would not be a key player on the pitch next season also shows how much he rated the Uruguayan.
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Given Barcelona’s financial position, Araujo’s high wages meant leaving him in the team as a bit-part player was a grim prospect. The loan deal is in that sense good business for the Catalans. Liverpool will cover his full salary during the loan.
However, Araujo’s departure still now leaves Barcelona with a problem in defence. With Araujo in the side he could still function as a squad player to come in when others needed rest. His high salary made such a condition unpalatable but now his exit also means that the club need to bring in someone to play that role.
For now Barcelona priorities appear to be signing a new centre-forward to replace Robert Lewandowski. But defence was a serious problem last term and with Araujo gone, expect it to be so again next season.
