Former Liverpool striker Darwin Núñez appears to have prematurely announced Ronald Araújo’s impending move to Anfield before the club have officially confirmed the transfer.
Araújo is closing in on a season-long loan move from Barcelona, with Liverpool holding an option to make the deal permanent next summer, as Andoni Iraola looks to strengthen his defensive options ahead of the new Premier League season.
However, Núñez appeared to get ahead of his former club by posting a message to his Uruguay teammate on social media platform X congratulating him on his expected move to Merseyside.
“All the best in this new stage, my brother. You are going to an incredible club, with incredible people and fans who will support you from day one. I love you very much,” Núñez wrote.
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The pair know each other well from international duty with Uruguay, where they have been teammates for six years. Núñez also has plenty of memorable experiences at Anfield having spent three seasons with Liverpool before leaving to join Al Hilal last summer.
Araújo’s expected arrival would provide Iraola with much-needed depth at centre-back following a summer of change in Liverpool’s defense. Ibrahima Konaté left for Real Madrid on a free transfer, while Joe Gomez and Giovanni Leoni are currently sidelined and summer signing Jérémy Jacquet has been recovering from a shoulder injury.
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The 27-year-old has spent the majority of his senior career at Barcelona after arriving from Uruguayan side Boston River in 2018. He went on to make more than 200 appearances for the Catalan club and won three LaLiga titles, although his opportunities became more limited last season.
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Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick confirmed over the weekend that Araújo was set to leave the club, with the Uruguay international travelling to England ahead of completing the move.
Araújo is now expected to finalise his switch to Anfield and become the latest addition to Iraola’s squad as Liverpool continue preparations for the start of their Premier League campaign.
