Ronald Araujo has completed his move to Liverpool on a season-long loan from Barcelona.
The deal gives Liverpool defensive reinforcements and an option to purchase the Uruguay international for a pre-agreed price of £47m.
Liverpool will not pay a loan fee and will cover the centre-back’s salary for the length of his time at Anfield, but Araujo’s eagerness to join them was such that he took a pay cut.
The 27-year-old, who passed a medical on Merseyside on Monday, is available straight away and will join in team training later this week.
That will ease Liverpool’s injury problems at the back, with Joe Gomez sidelined after being hurt in their first pre-season friendly and Giovanni Leoni yet to return after suffering a cruciate ligament injury during his debut last September.
Jeremy Jacquet, the summer arrival, is yet to figure in pre-season due to a minor knee problem but is expected back in training later this week.
The arrival of Araujo, who can also play at right-back, means Liverpool are unlikely to sign a full-back to compensate for the absence of the injured Conor Bradley, with Gomez also able to operate on either flank.
He will help replace Ibrahima Konate, a central defender of a similar age, who joined Real Madrid when his contract expired.
Liverpool are confident in their long-term future in defence, with Jacquet, Leoni and teenagers Ifeanyi Ndukwe and Mor Ndiaye, but wanted to strengthen for now, particularly because of injuries.
Liverpool see Araujo, who was named Barcelona captain in January, as another leader in a squad that has lost two senior players, in Andy Robertson and Mohamed Salah, in the summer.
Barcelona were nevertheless willing to let him go after he lost his place in Hansi Flick’s LaLiga-winning side last season.
Araujo becomes Liverpool’s second signing under Iraola after Victor Munoz but their main target, which will occupy much of their budget, remains a winger to replace Salah.
They are interested in Paris Saint-Germain’s Bradley Barcola but the two clubs are some way apart in their valuations of the France international, with the Champions League winners wanting over £100m.
