Ronald Araujo is giving Liverpool exactly what they need as a different sort of right back
Partly because the Uruguayan didn’t join Liverpool until mid-August, supposedly as a central defensive option with the Reds so short of depth at the back. Also partly because Iraola already had Conor Bradley and Jeremie Frimpong in his squad to utilise.
Now, though, that the pieces are starting to settle into place and Iraola is getting closer to gaining a true understanding of his team, Araújo is considered Liverpool’s first choice at right back. It would be a shock if anyone other than the 27-year-old started in that position against Manchester City this weekend.
Araujo started five matches in a row for Liverpool before the current international window. The Reds won four of those five matches with Iraola’s side starting to show signs of improvement. Araújo has been key to that improvement even if he is a different sort of right back to the kind fans at Anfield have been used to.
Liverpool’s issues at right back can be linked to Trent Alexander-Arnold’s departure in the summer of 2025. So much of the Reds’ creative play flowed through the England international and so his exit left a void in the Liverpool lineup that proved difficult to fill no matter what Arne Slot tried.
Jeremie Frimpong arrived from Bayer Leverkusen, seemingly as a direct replacement for Alexander-Arnold. However, the Dutchman’s game could hardly be more different to that of his predecessor in that Frimpong offers vertical threat. Alexander-Arnold, on the other hand, was someone whose ability on the ball opened up different angles in the final third.
At Leverkusen, Frimpong thrived as a right wing back. Xabi Alonso gave the Dutchman the freedom to get forward without any defensive burden. At Liverpool, though, Frimpong was used as an orthodox right back in a back four and it exposed his lack of defensive nous. The Reds were left exposed too many times.
Bradley demonstrated promise as Alexander-Arnold’s deputy, but struggled for form and fitness when asked to step up as Liverpool’s first-choice right back. Still only 23, the Northern Irishman clearly has potential. As a reliable starting figure at this moment, though, Liverpool clearly needed better.
Joe Gomez and even Dominik Szoboszlai were played at right back by Slot over the course of last season, highlighting the scale of Liverpool’s plight in that position. This was the desperate situation Iraola inherited upon arriving at Merseyside from Bournemouth this summer.
Araújo is a purer defender than Liverpool’s options at right back. The Uruguayan broke through as a centre back at Barcelona and was initially seen as next in line to a lineage of great defenders to have played for the club that includes the likes of Gerard Piqué and Carles Puyol.
Injuries and managerial uncertainty saw Araújo lose his starting spot at Barcelona, but the loan move to Liverpool has reminded everyone of the Uruguayan’s talent. He is a natural defender whose ability on the ball as a former Barça player means he can perform a role in possession play on the right side.
This isn’t to say Araújo is anywhere near as creative as Alexander-Arnold in that role for Liverpool. The Uruguayan is yet to create a single chance in the Premier League so far this season and is averaging just 44.2 passes per 90 minutes, ranking him well below defensive teammates Virgil Van Dijk and Jérémy Jacquet for this metric.
With Araújo generally a stay-at-home right back, Milos Kerkez has been given more freedom to get forward down the opposite wing. The Uruguayan has steadied Liverpool, offering greater security in defensive transition and balancing out Iraola’s team which would otherwise risk being top-heavy.
“I think he needed this kind of change,” said Iraola about Araújo, addressing the Uruguayan’s resurgence since joining on loan from Barcelona where many had written him off. “[He] has come with humility and is also coming from a big club. He’s an experienced player.
“Especially when you are a centre back and you have to play wide as a right back, the demands physically are different. I like his spirit. Now I’m pushing him to learn a little bit of the language because a good way for us to use his experience is if he could communicate better with the teammates and use all the experience that he has, but I suppose it will take some time.”
This season is shaping up to be a transitional one for Liverpool and Araújo is a stop-gap solution. Regardless, he has helped give Iraola a steadier platform to build on when a shaky start to the season might have spiralled. Araújo might not be the right back Liverpool envisaged replacing Alexander-Arnold, but he’s had the best stab at the job so far.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
You can follow every Liverpool game on FotMob – with in-depth stat coverage, including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.
Add FotMob as a preferred news source on Google by clicking – here.
