Liverpool willing to offer €50m to sign Barcelona vice-captain – Report | OneFootball

Ahead of the 2025/26 season, FC Barcelona were handed a cruel blow when it emerged, out of the blue, that Spanish defender Inigo Martinez was set to leave the club to move to Al Nassr. The Basque defender had been one of Hansi Flick’s most important players last season.

There were doubts as to who would replace Inigo as Cubarsi’s partner in Flick’s first-choice central defence this season. The first two games saw Ronald Araujo get a start, while Andreas Christensen and Eric Garcia were given an opportunity in the third and fourth games, respectively.

A couple of seasons ago, it was widely expected that Ronald Araujo would emerge as the leader of the Barcelona defence by now, but he has had a couple of difficult campaigns in a Blaugrana jersey since. There are still question marks over his suitability for this team.

Now, according to Fichajes, Liverpool have been monitoring the situation of Araujo for some time and are willing to offer €50 million to Barcelona for his services. The Reds view the Uruguayan central defender as a market opportunity they want to exploit.

The Barcelona vice-captain is a physical specimen who always seems to have an edge over opposition attackers in defensive battles. However, his ball-playing ability leaves a lot to be desired.

Araujo’s comfort, or lack thereof, on the ball makes him an easy pressing trigger for top opposition teams. This often results in turnovers in dangerous areas, and this is one flaw in his game that the South American has not yet overcome.

Liverpool currently have Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate as their centre-back options, but with the former ageing and the latter in the final year of his contract, there is a good chance they will go after a player like Araujo, who would suit the Premier League.

Ultimately, it could come down to the Uruguayan’s importance in Flick’s team and how much game time he gets this season. Let us wait and see how Araujo’s future in the Red and Blue plays out.