Liverpool may well be lining up an explosive late move for Alexander Isak in the ongoing transfer market but for Arne Slot and Co, further strengthening the forward line should not be the priority.
After all, despite adding Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong to their ranks, the Reds’ defence looks worse than it did last season.
Trent Alexander Arnold and Jarell Quansah have both left, Joe Gomez is injured and Ibou Konate could follow Trent to Real Madrid.
As a result, Slot has had to tinker with his backline during pre-season. The likes of Wataru Endo, Ryan Gravenberch and young Trey Nyoni have all played in the centre of defence in recent matches.
With Liverpool dreaming of retaining their Premier League title this season, they need someone to partner Van Dijk.
Liverpool’s search for a new centre-half
In the centre of defence, the Reds have had two main targets this summer.
They first looked at prising Dean Huijsen away from Bournemouth but they were left frustrated by Madrid yet again. The Spaniard only wanted Real and he headed back to his homeland.
Marc Guehi is another priority target for Liverpool and according to reports, they are set to step up their pursuit of the Crystal Palace captain after the Community Shield on Sunday.
Valued at £45m, they are due to hold talks with the Eagles about signing the centre-back before the September 1st deadline.
Yet, he’s not the only defender on the club’s radar. Indeed, according to Football Espana, Barcelona star Ronald Araujo has emerged as an option.
They reveal that Chelsea, Liverpool and Spurs are also showing ‘serious interest’ in the 26-year-old. Manchester United are also said to hold ‘long-term interest’ in the Barca defender.
How Ronald Araujo compares to Marc Guehi
At just £45m, bringing Guehi to Anfield would be a brilliant piece of business. He’s 25, thus approaching his prime, he’s Premier League-proven and having captained Palace, he’s a natural leader.
Including the brilliant price on offer, there are very few cons to signing such a proven player in the remaining weeks of the window; he’d surely hit the ground running swiftly.
However, Araujo is a genuine elite defender and has shown as much for one of the greatest clubs in the land in recent years.
Described by legendary centre-back Carles Puyol as “one of the best defenders in the world”, Araujo could be a brilliant market opportunity for Liverpool.
He’s capable of playing in the middle of defence but also competently at right-back. After missing the first half of the 2024/25 campaign with a hamstring injury, the defender went on to play 24 times at centre-back and played a starring role at the back as Barcelona reached the Champions League semi-finals.
Unlike Guehi, he’s playing at the very highest level and he’s more versatile too, having played seven times at right-back in the last two seasons.
So, what sets him apart?
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Araujo vs Guehi in 2024/25 (league only) |
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|---|---|---|
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Stat (per 90 mins) |
Araujo |
Guehi |
|
Passes completed |
79.3 |
43.3 |
|
Pass accuracy % |
92% |
84% |
|
Key passes |
0.48 |
0.47 |
|
Progressive passes |
5.83 |
3.94 |
|
Progressive carries |
0.71 |
0.65 |
|
Attempted take-ons |
0.12 |
0.44 |
|
Tackles won |
1.07 |
1.00 |
|
Interceptions |
1.07 |
0.82 |
|
Aerial duels won |
3.93 |
2.00 |
|
Stats via FBref. |
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Over the last year, Araujo has showcased that he is an elite defender in a number of metrics. He ranks inside the best 2% of positionally similar players in Europe’s top five leagues for aerial duels won per 90 minutes.
In the air, he’s evidently streets ahead of Guehi. His pass success rate of 92% betters Guehi and ensures that the Barca stalwart ranks within the best 12% of centre-backs in Europe for that metric.
A beast in the air, Araujo also possesses the ability to play out from the back, making him the perfect fit for Slot’s backline.
Cut from a similar cloth as Virgil van Dijk in terms of his physicality, if Konate does end up leaving for the Bernabeu, then there are very few better replacements around the continent.
