Liverpool would prefer to wait until the end of the season before deciding whether or not to activate Ronald Araujo’s £47m buy option.
That’s the claim coming out of SPORT, with the defender himself also understood to prefer delaying a decision until the summer.
What is Liverpool’s stance on Ronald Araujo presently?
According to the outlet in question, the Reds are thought to be “very pleased” with the Uruguayan international. However, the club is very aware of the fact that it will take a somewhat significant figure to bring the centre-back to Anfield on a permanent basis.
But barring a sudden, unexpected collapse of truly cosmic proportions, it’s difficult to see how Liverpool could manage to justify not activating the buy option come the summer.
Even if the club’s long-term plan is to use a less conservative option at right-back, the fact of the matter is they’re going to be quite short on centre-back options come the end of the season.
Club skipper Virgil van Dijk (contracted until 2027) may yet sign an extension, but we can’t see Joe Gomez staying put beyond the summer window. Either way, and even assuming that Giovanni Leoni returns from his ACL injury in excellent shape and has a significant second half of the season at L4, the Reds will need to bolster the department to the tune of potentially two bodies.
Activating Araujo’s buy option, then, feels like a necessity rather than a luxury, especially given the experience that could walk out of the door at the end of the campaign.
Araujo has one eye on Barcelona
SPORT go on to claim that Araujo “is aware that Barcelona is keeping a close eye on him”, which doesn’t really communicate a great deal as far as intention is concerned.
Prior reporting has indicated that Barca boss Hansi Flick will hold some sway in the player’s next move this summer, but ultimately, it should be emphasised that Liverpool Football Club handed the footballer a new lease of life. Not Barcelona. And we’d like to think that’ll count for something in the long run.
Only time will tell.
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