Top News

As Liverpool adapt to life after Mohamed Salah, they turned to a summer arrival on the right wing for invention and goals. And one player did provide that. It was not Bradley Barcola, although Andoni Iraola would have been pleased that the £123m signing managed to get into the right areas, even if he missed chances on his first start.

Instead, it was Ronald Araujo, whose backheel created Dominik Szoboszlai’s equaliser against Atletico Madrid. “You have to ask him if he meant it,” said the Hungarian about the improvised assist. “It’s the beauty of football, isn’t it?” Virgil van Dijk said with a smile. “He did very well there and I think that is an understatement: he did amazing before the goal.” That made it even more notable because, by role and by upbringing in the game, he is not the kind of player usually found inside the opposition penalty area during open play. “Ronald is playing right-back, which is not his position,” Szoboszlai added.

Araujo celebrated with great emotion. He did so again at the final whistle, his towering presence set against the Anfield crowd and the night sky. His previous Champions League appearance had also come against Atletico: he came on as a substitute when Barcelona were knocked out in last season’s quarter-finals, the captain who had lost his place in the side.

A few months on, plenty has changed. On the evening Liverpool became the first team to field three footballers who had each cost at least £100m, they ended up especially thankful for the player who arrived on a free transfer. Perhaps, like the first goal he helped create in Liverpool colours, Araujo could yet turn out to be an improvised but inspired parting contribution from former director of football Richard Hughes.

The pre-season injury suffered by Joe Gomez may have forced Liverpool into action, making them face up to the fact that they did not have enough senior defenders. Their need to preserve funds for Barcola made a loan signing an attractive solution. And with Araujo having fallen down the pecking order at Barcelona, he became available.

Ronald Araujo was in action for Liverpool against Atletico Madrid.

Then two poor displays from Jeremie Frimpong early in the season led Iraola to make a switch. The Basque coach has shown a willingness to act quickly and improve Liverpool through his changes. Araujo may be benefiting from being everything Frimpong is not: bigger and stronger, more naturally grounded defensively and equipped with better instincts at the back, more likely to hold his position and tougher to beat, he has offered reassurance. The unexpected part may have been what he has contributed going forward.

“Ronald has good crossing ability and he is smart in his decision-making,” said Iraola, who brought Araujo into the team against Ipswich. “I think he has been very, very good the other day and he has been I would say even better today. He is defending really well his side and also sometimes because he is a centre-back we underrate his offensive side, he gives a great assist for Dominik Szoboszlai and he has made a couple of very good serves from his position, I am very happy with him, he has come with a willingness to show he belongs to this level and I hope we can keep him there because he is in a lovely place.”

Anfield may prove a healing setting for Araujo, but there is also a feeling that Liverpool needed him badly. Right-back had been emerging as a troublesome position: even when Conor Bradley returns to fitness, his injury history offers no certainty that he will stay available. So a centre-back has been redeployed there.

“Right-back is not his specialist position but he has played there before, and he’s shown everyone how well he can perform that role,” said Van Dijk. All of a sudden, there is more physical presence and more solidity on the right side of Liverpool’s defence, with Araujo alongside Jeremy Jacquet and both standing out against Atletico.

Jeremy Jacquet challenged for a high ball against David Hancko.

Liverpool now appear to have better balance in their side: when Frimpong and Milos Kerkez were both playing, they had two very attack-minded full-backs, whereas now one of them is more defensive in outlook. Bringing Araujo into the team could also help Liverpool when defending set-pieces: apart from Van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate, they had too few strong aerial players last season. Now they have another one at right-back.

A lot of Liverpool’s costly recruitment has been made with the future in mind. Araujo is a reminder that short-term thinking can also have value. Liverpool hold an option to sign him permanently for £47m at the end of the season. They believe the future in central defence looks promising, with Jacquet and Giovanni Leoni, and with Ifeanyi Ndukwe and Mor Tala Ndiaye behind them. In logical terms, they may still need to buy a right-back next summer.

They have time to decide whether that player should be Araujo. His two starts at right-back have come against a promoted side and against Atletico, a team that used wing-backs rather than natural wingers. Tougher and different examinations are still to come. But for the moment, Liverpool’s big-spending squad can enjoy the immediate influence of a player they have borrowed.

And while assists from right-back for Liverpool once meant Trent Alexander-Arnold, and while his most famous one of all came against Barcelona, on Wednesday the right-back who created a Liverpool goal was the man they signed from Barcelona.