Ronald Araujo holds the key to Liverpool's transfer plans

Ronald Araujo holds the key to Liverpool's transfer plans Ronald Araujo has been one of Liverpool’s most promising players in the early weeks of Andoni Iraola’s tenure. The Uruguayan defender was a surprise arrival at Anfield in the summer, joining on loan from Barcelona where he was club captain. It didn’t take long for the 27-year-old to cement himself as a starter under Iraola, making the troubled right-back spot his own in recent weeks. The Reds reportedly hold an optional clause in the deal with Barca that could see Araujo become a Red permanently for €55 million (~£47m) in the summer. At the moment it would be a no-brainer to keep Araujo at Anfield, but that could have a big impact on the Reds’ other summer business. Araujo deal could jeopardise Liverpool transfer plans Although the Reds’ defence has been much improved on last season, the summer will almost certainly see another defender arrive at Anfield. Virgil van Dijk, Kostas Tsimikas and Joe Gomez are all into the final 12 months of their deals, and Jeremie Frimpong doesn’t appear to have much of a future in the first-team. One of the defenders Liverpool have been linked with in recent weeks is Barcelona’s Jules Kounde, Araujo’s former teammate. According to a new report from Football Insider claims that any move for Kounde will depend on whether Araujo’s move is made permanent. The report states that if Araujo continues to impress and the buy clause is activated then the Reds will not pursue a deal for the Frenchman. Araujo’s ability to cover both in the centre of the defence and at right-back make him a very valuable asset and the Uruguayan would be competing with Kounde directly for minutes. A lot will also depend on how many of Liverpool’s current defenders stay in Merseyside. If all three of the out-of-contract stars were to depart then there may well be room in the squad for both Araujo and Kounde come the summer.