Ronald Araujo has travelled to England to undergo his medical ahead of a season-long loan move to Liverpool from Barcelona, with the Catalan club's manager confirming the 27-year-old's departure and speaking warmly of the defender's qualities.
Andoni Iraola's side moved for the Uruguayan centre-back following Ibrahima Konate's departure to Real Madrid on a free transfer. Joe Gomez, Giovanni Leoni and Jeremy Jacquet are all currently sidelined through injury, with just two weeks remaining before the new Premier League season begins.
The loan arrangement carries an option for Liverpool to sign Araujo permanently next summer, though they are under no obligation to do so. The purchase option is set at approximately €55 million (£47.1m).
Araujo accumulated 213 appearances for Barcelona after joining in 2018, winning three LaLiga titles and two Copa del Reys during that period. He was appointed the club's captain in January, yet found first-team opportunities increasingly limited last season, making only 11 La Liga starts. He was also granted a leave of absence to take a break for his mental health. The defender had been struggling with anxiety for 18 months before the situation developed into depression, and he was sent off away at Chelsea in the Champions League in late November shortly before stepping away from the game.
Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick spoke candidly about the reasons behind the split and offered a generous assessment of the player he is releasing. "I think Ronald is a great guy and a fantastic player," Flick said. "I think our style of play, that we want to play, is a little bit different. He's a player that has a lot of speed, he's physical and very strong and also with the ball he's quite good. We couldn't include him like I wanted and also I think he wants to make something new. You know it more than me because in the past, something has happened, so this affected him. I saw him this morning and I said goodbye and I think he was very happy and Liverpool is also a fantastic club. I wish him all the best because he deserves it. He's a fantastic guy and fantastic player and was a great captain."
Araujo himself spoke in February about the mental health difficulties that had disrupted his season, describing how his manager's early support and messages from teammates helped him through the worst of it. He said his wife had been key to his recovery and credited the contact from his Barcelona colleagues as a major source of motivation during a period when he struggled to get out of bed.
Journalist Diego Torres Romano has also shed light on how Liverpool came to pursue the move, revealing that Iraola consulted Virgil van Dijk before pressing ahead. Van Dijk told his manager that, in his view, Araujo was the finest ball-playing centre-back in the world.
The Uruguayan's ability to operate at right-back as well as centrally adds further value for a Liverpool squad stretched across defensive positions. All the necessary documentation between the two clubs has been exchanged and signed, leaving only the formal unveiling to complete the transfer.
Reporting: CaughtOffside, talkSPORT, TeamTalk.