Will Araujo be 'loan of the season' or 'Arthur Melo 2.0'?

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We asked for your views on Ronald Araujo, with Liverpool close to signing the Uruguay defender on a season-long loan from Barcelona.

Here are some of your comments:

Steve : No brainer. If he's from Barca, he can play. If he's from Uruguay, he will add the steel we have been lacking... and he can play right back.

James : Very happy! Definitely needed strengthening in centre. May have the odd mistake in him, but show me a centre back who is perfect throughout the entire season. Prove himself this year, then purchase for about £45m. Can then be the transition period covered between Virgil van Dijk and rise of the young CBs we already have on the books. Now we just need another Uruguayan to help him settle into the squad… Come home, Darwin!

Matt : Great move. We need some experienced defenders while we settle our new young defenders in. A year loan with an option to buy is perfect for this. Especially as he also plays right-back. We can see how the season goes, both with him and with the young players, then decide whether to sign permanently. I would like to see us sign one (or even two) more experienced, versatile defenders on a year loan with an option to buy. Then our lack of defensive options will finally be sorted.

Dan : He seems to get fairly frequently inured for periods of days or weeks. Maybe that's why he's not getting the games anymore and why he can't be the most suitable option out there.

Adrian : I think it's a sensible move on the part of the transfer team. Araujo may not have Premier League experience but he does have experience of playing at the highest levels of football. If he flunks this season, we send him back at a minimal loss and if he excels, we get a good international defender with a year of EPL experience for a decent price.

Mike : Araujo will be the loan of the season, mark my words.

Sukie : We are loaning a player who has a poor disciplinary record and gets injured a lot. At Barca - 30+ yellow cards and six red cards. He's had over 16 different injuries since 2020 at Barca. Missed roughly 20-25% of their games. He's still recovering from a calf muscle tear he got before the World Cup, so not match fit. Arthur Melo 2.0? The loan money should be spent elsewhere. In the meantime, Joe Gomez is injured, Giovanni Leoni and Jeremy Jacquet are still recovering/not match fit. CB/RB position is still a major concern.

Vardon : The Araujo move isn't a surprise from the perspective of Liverpool desperately needing reinforcement in their defense. Out of favour, and on a loan with no obligation to buy is good business sense, but his dramatic drop off in form at Barca is a concern. If he applies himself well it could be an excellent signing, but fans won't exactly be jumping for joy...

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