Ronald Araújo has settled in well at Liverpool since joining them on loan from Barcelona in August.
Sport cover the move to Liverpool and his initial weeks at Anfield.
Salary reduction to secure Liverpool move
The centre-back wasn’t happy with his final months at Barcelona and had an opportunity to leave the Camp Nou in the summer.
He wanted to join a top club where he can regain the starting spot. Barca wanted the club to cover his full salary if it was a loan move.
Liverpool fit Barcelona and the Uruguay international’s requirements, and he took a 10-20% pay cut to secure a loan move to Anfield.
The Merseyside club contacted his agent at the start of August. A 20-minute call with Andoni Iraola convinced the Barcelona man. This allowed them to complete the operation in a matter of days.
Last month, Sport Witness covered a report from Spain explaining that the Reds secured a €55m purchase option.
Liverpool and Araújo happy
Sport says the defender is happy with his decision to join the Premier League side. He and his family are living close to the club’s training centre so that he can quickly adapt to his new life in England.
The Spanish-speaking players are also helping him settle in at the club.
After making two substitute appearances in the league, Andoni Iraola started Ronald Araújo as a right-back in Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Ipswich Town.
Having enjoyed a good start on the pitch, Liverpool ‘consider his arrival a real bargain’.
The newspaper states: ‘From day one, the former Barca player has found himself with a manager who is pushing him to the limit in training, who speaks with him daily, and who wants to take him to the highest level physically and mentally, but without overdoing it. He knows he’s coming off a calf injury and a spell at Barca where he didn’t play a prominent role.’
The early signs are positive. However, it might be early to predict Liverpool making the South American’s stay permanent next summer.
