Liverpool are on the verge of securing Barcelona captain Ronald Araujo on a loan deal that includes a £47million purchase option.
The 27-year-old Uruguayan centre-back is set to head to Merseyside on Sunday, where he will complete his medical and put pen to paper on his contract.
Araujo is expected to bid farewell to his Barcelona teammates on Saturday before travelling to England the following day, where he will also be introduced to his new squad.
The deal will bring much-needed defensive reinforcement for Andoni Iraola’s side, with just over a couple of weeks until the Premier League season.
The defender’s departure from the Camp Nou stems from a conversation with head coach Hansi Flick, who made clear that regular first-team football could not be guaranteed.
Despite playing over 200 appearances for the Spanish champions, Araujo has slipped behind both Pau Cubarsi and Gerard Martin at the back.
The La Liga title holders are prioritising a move for Manchester City’s Rodri whilst also seeking reinforcements at centre-back and in the striker position.
Araujo’s arrival addresses an increasingly pressing concern in Liverpool’s backline.
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Joe Gomez picked up a muscle injury during the club’s first pre-season fixture, while teenage defender Giovanni Leoni continues his rehabilitation from an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
Those absences have left captain Virgil van Dijk as the only fully fit senior centre-back available to Iraola.
The Uruguayan international provides versatility, being capable of playing at right-back as well as in the heart of defence.
At 27, Araujo also brings considerable experience to a defensive unit that has been stretched thin.
Araujo first joined Barcelona’s B team in 2018 before earning promotion to the senior squad a year later.
His time in Catalonia included a World Cup appearance with Uruguay, though he was unable to feature at this year’s tournament after getting injured in training, which prevented his recovery before Marcelo Bielsa’s side exited at the group stage.
His most recent Champions League outing proved memorable for the wrong reasons, as he was sent off during Barcelona’s 3-0 defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in November.
At Anfield, he becomes the third notable summer signing following the arrivals of Jeremy Jacquet and winger Victor Munoz.
Liverpool are also continuing negotiations for Paris Saint-Germain duo Bradley Barcola and Ibrahim Mbaye.
Iraola’s men face Monaco in a pre-season friendly on Sunday before meeting Cesc Fabregas’s Como the following week, with their Premier League campaign beginning against Newcastle on August 23.
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