€60m Barcelona star TEMPTED by Liverpool offer

Liverpool have been left in somewhat of a centre-back crisis. First the club sold Jarell Quansah to Bayer Leverkusen, replacing him in the squad with Giovanni Leoni.

But the £26m signing from Parma was injured on debut - suffering a torn ACL. All of a sudden, Liverpool’s failure to land Marc Guehi in the summer transfer window looked even starker.

The Reds are down to THREE senior options - with Konate suffering a knock to his quad over the weekend. Ryan Gravenberch, a No8 who has transformed into a defensive midfielder, was pressed into service at centre-back.

The Reds will have to continue this way until January at least - meaning another injury or a suspension could be detrimental for Arne Slot’s squad.

Liverpool's bleak centre-back outlook

Not only do they have to worry about being light on numbers, there is plenty of uncertainty over the players currently on the books. Virgil van Dijk is secured until 2027 - but at 34 he will soon need to be replaced.

Then there’s Joe Gomez - linked with AC Milan last summer and who could be sold before his contract expires in two years. Most pressingly, sporting director Richard Hughes needs to come to a resolution with Ibrahima Konate over a new deal.

If no agreement is struck with the French defender then he will be leaving for free in 2026.

Liverpool linked with Ronald Araujo

Last summer it was speculated that Konate could be sold in order to ensure the club wouldn’t lose him for free. Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid were both associated with a move - but the 26-year-old ultimately stayed at Anfield.

But Liverpool DID explore the option of replacing the France international. According to a new report in SPORT, the Reds approached Barcelona over Ronald Araujo - but the Uruguay international made it clear he wished to fight for his place at Camp Nou.

Araujo was tempted by Liverpool offer

“This summer, during the month of July, his release clause dropped to €60 million,” the report reads.

“Araujo was tempted. And they came. Once again, Juventus moved to try to sign him, but so did Liverpool (faced with the threat of Konaté's departure), Tottenham, and Chelsea.

“The player's response to his representatives was clear: he didn't want to leave Barcelona. He wants to succeed here.”

Araujo, 26, is under contract at Barca until 2031. He is no longer a first pick under Hansi Flick and the hard-up Spanish champions may well choose to cash in on the defender soon.

Liverpool have been strongly linked with Araujo’s signature - and there is no question that they need quality and experience in the central defensive position over the next few transfer windows.

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