When it comes to short-term signings, Liverpool don’t have the best record. Over the years, the Reds have brought in the likes of Ozan Kabak, Arthur Melo and Steven Caulker on loan.
It’s perhaps why they tend to distance themselves from quick fix solutions and instead hone in on the player they believe is the solution.
They don’t rush into deals and will, much to the dismay of their fanbase, at times do nothing. After all, you can’t get it wrong if you don’t do anything at all. Jurgen Klopp regularly had to get a little creative to make up for holes in the squad.
The message told to the world is that those in charge of Liverpool’s recruitment strategy are the smartest in the room.
And for a while, it did seem like that was the case. Every transfer was a success. The Reds won every trophy going and conquered England, Europe and the World on their way to a Premier League title, a Champions League and a Club World Cup.
When they pulled the trigger in the transfer market, they didn’t miss. Over recent years, the same cannot be said.
Last summer’s splurge on the likes of Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike, Jeremie Frimpong, Giorgi Mamardashvili and Milos Kerkez might end up being viewed as good business when their Anfield careers are assessed but right now, question marks loom over all of them.
The summer of 2026 was supposed to be when Liverpool finished their initial rebuild. Things have gone awry though. Andoni Iraola was hired following the departure of Arne Slot.
Mohamed Salah brought his spell with the club to a premature end, leaving 12 months into a two-year deal.
Ibrahima Konate, who has been expected to extend his contract on Merseyside according to Paul Joyce of the Times, left on a free transfer to join Real Madrid.
There had been uncertainty over whether or not the 2024/25 Premier League champions had prior knowledge to Konate’s exit plans. Liverpool, a club famed for their smarts, surely wouldn’t be caught short like this.
The suggestion was that their decision to bring in Jeremy Jacquet was a hint that they knew the Frenchman was departing. Jacquet was signed in January but arrived in the summer, even taking on the vacant No5 jersey left by Konate.
Reports had then suggested the Reds wanted added cover in defence, preferably a hybrid profile with the player capable of playing right-back and centre-back. It wasn’t painted as an urgent signing but rather a nice-to-have.
Ezri Konsa was linked last week before, out of nowhere, Barcelona captain Ronald Araujo was named by Fabrizio Romano as the player Liverpool had decided to bring in.
A loan deal was struck, with the Reds covering 100% of his wages and having a buy option, believed to be in the region of £47million.
Some have described it as smart business. Liverpool have strengthened an area of weakness without spending big. It frees up money for the likes of Ibrahim Mbaye and Bradley Barcola as Iraola seeks to bolster his attacking options.
The Reds have added some much needed experience to their defence too. Jacquet and Giovanni Leoni, while highly-rated, are both young and inexperienced. Joe Gomez is hardly reliable and it eases the burden on Virgil van Dijk.
And while it could end up being a masterclass, it is also a deal that comes with huge risk. Unnecessary risk.
A couple of years ago, Araujo was someone with the potential to succeed Van Dijk as the world’s best defender. However, he’s been on the decline under Hansi Flick with the German’s high defensive line seemingly exposing him, despite the fact he has the traits to thrive in such a system.
He lost his place to Inigo Martinez before his departure to Saudi Arabia. It was a surprise given Martinez is perhaps the complete opposite to Araujo as a player and someone who shouldn’t be deployed in an ultra aggressive high defensive line.
Yet he was favoured.
Whenever he was given an opportunity, he seemed to be at the scene of the crime whenever things went wrong for Barcelona with notable forgettable cameos against Inter, PSG and Chelsea.
According to Joyce, Araujo is seen as a sticking plaster for the Reds rather than a long-term solution. He’s a pricey plaster too.
Araujo does have the traits needed to thrive in an Iraola defensive line. He’s front-footed, aggressive and a battler. He is a physical monster and should relish the battles in England.
However, there’s a fine line between picking and choosing your battles and just going into battle. Van Dijk does the former, Dejan Lovren did the latter. Araujo, until now, has also done the latter.
He thinks he can win everything so commits to everything, even when there’s not a chance he’s coming out on top. He could be exposed in the Premier League if he’s not carefully managed.
You can see the logic though. Get someone with the physical traits and pair them with the brain that is Van Dijk.
The issue, though, is that everyone knows Araujo is viewed as a short-term solution. He screams desperation signing, with the Reds paying £200,000-per-week for a player they don’t own.
He’s been signed with two weeks to go until the new campaign starts. He’s missed pre-season with his new team and isn’t going to have a lot of time to bed in with his new teammates in a new system in a new league.
It doesn’t scream smart, well-planned out business, does it?
It doesn’t paint Liverpool in much of a positive light. Konate left and they thought they could manage it with the players they had. They realised they couldn’t and having missed out on the likes of Jan Paul van Hecke, Marcos Senesi and Maxence Lacroix, they had to look at loans and make it work.
When forced into this sort of move, they have a poor hit rate.
For a transfer that could legitimately make or break their season, it seems to have been the one they have rushed into.
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