Is Araujo a gamble signing like Chiesa?

[BBC] Some of you have been asking via our Liverpool Ask Me Anything form whether or not Ronald Araujo is a "pure gamble" signing like Federico Chiesa and how his stats compare to other defenders. When Liverpool went for Chiesa, it is worth remembering he had a decent CV. Having starred in Italy's winning run to the Euro 2020 title, he was named in Serie A's Team of the Year during his debut season at Juventus in 2020-21, all before he was affected by injuries. Similarly, Araujo is a proven talent. He has made over 200 appearances for Barcelona and won three La Liga titles. The Uruguay international did struggle last season, so it is a risky move, but with Liverpool's defensive situation, he should bring plenty of experience. According to Opta, since his debut season in 2019-20 at Barcelona, Araujo has the highest duel success rate of any defender to make at least 100 appearances in La Liga at 65.6%. In the same period, the top ranked defender in the Premier League is Virgil van Dijk (72.6 per cent). And since his debut, the two defenders with the lowest dribbled past average (per 90) in Europe's big five leagues are Araujo (0.13 - 14 times in 143 appearances) and Van Dijk (0.16 - 34 times in 212 appearances). The speed of the move suggests there are hints of a gamble, with Araujo only made aware of Liverpool's interest last Wednesday. He then spoke to Andoni Iraola via a call on Thursday and by the weekend he was in England. Given his statistics, it is a calculated gamble - with Liverpool also not paying a loan fee, Araujo agreeing to a pay cut and the Reds having no obligation to buy at the end of his season-long loan. Ask Me Anything is a service dedicated to answering your questions. We want to reward your time by telling you things you do not know and reminding you of things you do. Find out more here