Liverpool Banter 3

08 Aug 2026 16:40:59
I think araujo will be our vvd replacement.

There I said it. I have full confidence in him turning it up at anfield.
If nothing he brings the fight bite and physicality which we have been missing. Proper CB him and we all know we needed one so bad.

I know these loans hardly work out and i understand everyone's concerns but mark my words one year from now we will be triggering that sign on clause with open arms waiting for our new defender in chief.

Now time for unveiling the surprise winger and RB additions next Mr Hughes.

08 Aug 2026 20:45:43
@Last, I disagree. There is no way on this earth that we brought in a CB with all to prove on loan (a very good CB/RB with proven quality, I agree) to become VVD's replacement.

I just don't see that happening.

09 Aug 2026 06:09:51
Oli, I think he means beyond this season. Virg will be done after this season. I think OP is suggesting that we bed him in/try before you buy this year and then take up our £47mil option to buy.

08 Aug 2026 16:18:06
Barcola not in PSG squad today, but Mbaye is and has scored in 2 mins! Zabarnyi also in the first 11, although I think Araujo covers CB now.

08 Aug 2026 16:55:06
Barcola doesn't return for pre season until Monday.

08 Aug 2026 17:06:12
Good point, Shipley!

I clearly heard hooves and thought zebras, not horses!

08 Aug 2026 20:26:29
Well spotted, ShipleyKopite, that Barcola is indeed on his World Cup hols, very good insight, so he won't play in the UEFA Super Cup this Wednesday or be involved! Could it be him returning to Paris Airport when he returns? Or watch the private aeroplanes into JLA Monday morning?

08 Aug 2026 23:57:31
The Zabyarni boat has now sailed, unfortunately. He would have been a shrewd appointment imo.

08 Aug 2026 14:36:53
I expect ridicule from rival fans, but some of the comments I've seen from our own fans about Ronald Araújo online are excessive. Admittedly, I haven't seen it on this forum, but I have elsewhere.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion on a player's footballing ability, but some fans making derogatory comments about his past mental health struggles is nothing short of disgusting. Let's get behind the lad when he joins. He has a lot to prove, and there's no better player to help guide him than VVD.

Btw, I think the plan is to play Araújo at right-back of sorts, with Jacquet partnering VVD on the left. Kerkez will have licence to bomb forward, and when he does, we effectively revert to a back three with Jacquet at LCB, VVD at CB and Araújo at RCB.

Leoni will be eased in because he's recovering from an ACL injury, not because of any concerns over his ability.

08 Aug 2026 17:17:54
I know, I have read some fans on X and FB saying they hope he gets injured. What is wrong with some people? Why would you want any of our players to get injured?

08 Aug 2026 18:02:31
The perks of social media are its anonymity.
You can be what or who you want.
Highly doubtful Liverpool fans hope he gets injured, but the one who says he is often isn't.
Wish him nothing but the best, and hope he excels at all he does!

08 Aug 2026 13:56:32
I've never seen such a reaction to signing a player! Everyone is entitled to their opinion but the truth is none of us know yet how this signing will go. We have signed players for massive money with the world at their feet and it didn't work out. We have signed players for buttons and they done great. Let's just give the lad a chance.

08 Aug 2026 14:19:19
I remember people ridiculing the mere idea of signing Ousmane Dembele when he left Barcelona. Attitude and injury issues people said. Waste of money, made of glass, doesn't try, all he eats is McDonalds etc. 3 League titles, 2 Cups, 2 Champions Leagues and a Ballon d'Or later, those people look pretty silly now. Sometimes a change of scenery can be massive in terms of getting a career back on track.

Don't get me wrong, I fully understand why many people are cautious or a little bit underwhelmed by the Araujo signing.

But some of the reactions have just been a disgrace. Especially those mocking his mental health difficulties. To me it seems pretty clear that Iraola is having a huge say on our transfer choices. Munoz and Araujo both coming from La Liga is not a coincidence in my opinion. So let's trust in our new gaffer and see what he can do. 🤷🏻‍♂️

08 Aug 2026 14:28:25
MK, agree on all of that. Interesting, both signings came out of nowhere, and both from Spain, so maybe the boss is having his say. Fingers crossed for at least two more.

08 Aug 2026 14:36:18
Exactly MK, remember when we signed the best midfielder on the planet in Naby Keita. I was so excited, but he didn't set the world alight. Other signings like Milner on a free had me scratching my head. Of course I'd love us to sign 100mill players for every potion, but that's not realistic.

A top winger is the priority this year. Next summer we will probably need to replace VVD, so this signing makes sense. If he is, could we get him for less than 50 million. If not, centre backs will probably be priority and we can go after the best available.

08 Aug 2026 14:53:23
Not sure how close Iraola is to Bielsa, but you would hope they have spoken about the player.

08 Aug 2026 15:27:27
It's just babies. Children who only know how to socialise through social media. Unfortunately, it's the generation we live in. Should never have the platform to do so, but then we all read it.

08 Aug 2026 15:45:28
Do you all remember Gary McAllister, Andrew Robertson, James Milner? Give the lad a chance to put his boots on!

08 Aug 2026 16:07:09
Keita is easily one of the most wanted players for us I ever saw on here and Twitter. Absolutely hilarious. New waves of fans every year without a f****** clue.

08 Aug 2026 16:10:39
I agree with you, Mks. Now I differ with the Dembele analogy cos trust me, Dembele was a train wreck and a half when he left Barca. And frankly, there were teams that were nowhere near him cos he was undisciplined, had attitude issues, used to miss training for diverse reasons, you name it.

And many clubs were right to stay clear of him back then.

Indeed, he has done well for himself esp. when PSG came in for him and rehabilitated him well, and credit to him for sorting things out personally. However, let's not make it sound like he and Araujo were in the same boat. They aren't. Just my take.

Cheers, man.

08 Aug 2026 15:56:27
The reaction from this site is nothing compared to what's on other social media platforms so I'd imagine the Eds had to filter out a few nasty ones. Some of the things I've read on other sites is downright disgraceful and I am disappointed at the reaction from the so-called fans. I can only hope Araujo and the other players don't read those kind of stuff

08 Aug 2026 16:22:19
Adam, I echo everything you say. I shall be very diplomatic when I say that some of the reactions have certainly been a tad overboard.

08 Aug 2026 16:34:50
Dembele was transformed by Enrique. What a manager! However, not a player that should be used as a barometer.

I hope and pray Araujo works out and isn't costing us a fortune. I love it when we improve a player, but our recent loan agreements have to be considered.

It would be folly to expect him to set the world alight.

That being said, I know every supporter in the ground on match day will be backing him 100% for 90 minutes. That is the Liverpool way. Isn't that the point of this forum? To vent and discuss post-match?

08 Aug 2026 16:39:47
Iraola was Bielsa's captain whilst at Bilbao, so it's fair to assume he would have sounded out Bielsa's opinion.

08 Aug 2026 16:48:50
Our loan signings since 2010 have been extremely poor and that's being generous. Not one of these was a success with Kabak & Arthur being particularly poor.

Arthur Melo
Ozan Kabak
Steven Caulker
Javier Manquillo
Victor Moses
Aly Cissokho
Nuri Sahin

Araujo has as many red flags as the Chinese Communist Party, discipline on the pitch, injury issues, far too rash and the number of mistakes he makes is concerning.

This is a desperation signing. Given that our midfield offers the defence no protection, his shortcomings are likely to be equally as exposed as Konate's were.

09 Aug 2026 04:10:53
7 players in 16 years - it's an absolute disgrace. How the hell did we start winning trophies and playing great football - it's unbelievable.

09 Aug 2026 04:13:00
Oh yes, forgot to say... stiff cheddar @Vik. Get over it.

08 Aug 2026 13:25:42
I've been pretty comfortable with the Araujo signing from the off.

Experience ✅✅
Age range ✅
Physicality ✅
Quick ✅

We're paying a proportion of his salary for a year, that's all we're committed to. Gives Leoni, Jacquet and Bradley time and space to recover and adapt to a new coach and a new league and it gives Iraola time to assess their capabilities.

Best case scenario : we've signed an experienced world class versatile defender at his peak.
Worse case scenario - we've just burnt 12m in wages.

08 Aug 2026 14:15:15
I'm with you, Ron.

And if we are paying a portion of his wages, the downside is probably less than £12m.

A few characters are popping out the emojis and continuing the narrative from FIFA.

Having an experienced player available on loan is, in my view, a good thing.

Now we just need to dovetail his and JoGo's time injured!

08 Aug 2026 14:29:01
Ron, totally agree.

08 Aug 2026 15:57:51
Romano has reported that we're paying his full wages so that's about 1mil a month. Still nothing compared to the truly absurd fees we've seen thrown about this summer. And the option to buy is set at apparently 55m euros, so if he does well, that is quite a reasonable price for us to buy him at too.

08 Aug 2026 16:14:08
Agree with all the comments here. Araujo has question marks, and those are legitimate. That does not remove from the immense ability he possesses. There is no question.

All we have to do is to try to help Jim rediscover his former self physically and mentally in a new environment with a manager that actually wants him and a fan base that, regardless of our differing opinions on him, all want him to do well.

At least, I would think so.

I'm excited to see him play, and if we get to keep him then, that would mean he has held his part of the bargain.

08 Aug 2026 16:20:48
Even more excited to see Jim play.

Is it Beglin?

08 Aug 2026 16:53:31
Jim Araujo - someone will be having that username by next week. 😁

08 Aug 2026 20:49:05
Well, what do ya know, Ron & Zed? I may have just found Araujo a decent nickname without even trying.

09 Aug 2026 08:04:31
LOL, Ron and Oli! 🫵🤣🤣🤣 Jim Araujo!!! Love it!!! 🤣🤣🤣💥

08 Aug 2026 13:09:22.
Not Liverpool related but what are everyone’s thoughts on the spending rules in the PL?

Newcastle have seen Tonali, Bruno, Gordon and Isak leave over recent windows despite being backed by PIF.

Seems as though the rules are in place to keep the Big 6 in place.



And on Bruno G., how many midfielders does Arteta need?
Rice, Odegaard, Zubimendi, Bruno G., Merino and that’s without looking at adding in the likes of Eze or others could play as a 10.

Arsenal building from a position of strength?

08 Aug 2026 14:15:48
Arsenal showing how it's done, while we have Hughes who hasn't a clue what he's doing. Should have been removed along with Slot.

08 Aug 2026 14:18:45
Newcastle's owners lost interest in the project a year into the ownership. The growth of the Saudi Pro League meant that Newcastle became less interesting to PIF.

It's unfortunate for Newcastle and their fans. I wouldn't be surprised to see them divest or even sell.

08 Aug 2026 14:44:00
I've seen a lot of people complain that the rules are only there to help the big 6, which I really don't think is true. I can see why people would think that, as the rules are set in such a way that they don't help the lower clubs. I don't think that's intentional; I think it's an inherent part of trying to regulate spending. It's difficult to come up with a rule set that both limits clubs from just buying their way to the top, doesn't prevent fair investment, and also doesn't show favouritism.

People are complaining that PSR (or whatever it's called now) is unfair, but don't forget it's not long ago we were all crying out for regulation, back when Chelsea and City bought their way to success. You can't have your cake and eat it, apparantly.

Could we come up with a better system? Possibly, a fixed cap, a luxury tax, shared revenue, or tiered ceilings? I mean, 1 of those is a definite no for me.

I'm all for fair competition, but I can't see a set of rules that doesn't include some sort of system that is inherently tiered in a way that favours clubs with less revenue. Personally I'd be all for a better solution, but you have to see the issue. People will ask, 'What's the point in the rules if there's literally a different one for everybody?' And it's a fair question. People will also claim it's unfair that those who do worse get to spend more. So do we adopt some new pseudo-American standard that essentially nullifies a club's hard-working success or just go back to having a free-for-all, giving anybody the opportunity to just buy the league? It's not so easily resolved in my eyes.

08 Aug 2026 16:07:47
I don't think the PIF has lost interest in Newcastle, actually, but they came in at an unfortunate time, when spending is regulated, and they can't just pump endless money into the club like Chelsea and City did. They had to be a bit more strategic in increasing the revenue of Newcastle, which they have done slowly.

However, recent world events have also hit Saudi hard, which has limited the amount of investment they can pump into Newcastle or their own league for that matter, with the PIF forced to cut back spending in certain sectors in favour of others.

08 Aug 2026 16:18:31
Arsenal are buying their way into trouble. Odegard, Ese, Merino rotating for one spot seems like three unhappy players. Zubimendi won't get a sniff as long as Rice and Bruno are fit. And they'll accentuate their defensive streak, for sure.

08 Aug 2026 12:40:48
From Chat Gpt:

1. Back in the 90s, a loan signing like this wouldn’t even have interrupted the horse racing results. Now Liverpool bring in a mildly uninspiring player on loan and people react like the club has just sold Anfield for scrap.

2. In the 90s, this sort of signing barely makes a ripple. In 2026, Liverpool loan in a player who isn’t the reincarnation of peak Zidane and everyone starts drafting the club’s obituary.

3. Once upon a time, an underwhelming loan signing was just squad depth. Now, unless Liverpool unveil a galactico every five minutes, half the fanbase acts like civilisation is collapsing.

4. Back in the 90s, this would’ve been filed under “fair enough” and everyone moved on. Now, if a Liverpool loan signing doesn’t come with fireworks, a violin section and a 20-goal YouTube compilation, people think the sky is falling.

5. Liverpool signing an unremarkable loan player used to be the sort of thing nobody lost sleep over. These days, if it’s not a statement signing, people behave like the club has personally ruined fo.

08 Aug 2026 12:54:09
If we had paid £40million for him, people would say it's a bargain. Whatcha gonna do, huh?

08 Aug 2026 13:06:59
Oh, look, another overly dramatic post about people voicing their valid concerns over a player's fitness due to his injury record.

08 Aug 2026 13:34:00
Chewy, it's not just voicing concerns, though. It's overdramatic reactions to us signing a stop-gap, squad player on loan, that may work out, may not.
And not just on here. The posts on Insta or FB are literally full of comments like "we sign an unknown cb, great", fans of football, those who don't know Barca's Captain.
Negativity is exhausting, and it's the behind the keyboard effect.

If we were chatting face to face or with your mates, most would have a normal debate. If we're fans, we all want the same thing. Simply put, he's obviously a good player to get where he is or was. He could be a great signing or not work out. Just like every player. We all hope he does.
The negative comments and bickering take the joy of footy chats and football as a whole nowadays.

08 Aug 2026 13:57:33
Stopgap like Caulker, Kabak, Davies & Melo? Because they were all absolute raging successes weren't they? I think there is fair reason to be sceptical about this given his ability, injury history and disciplinary record.



We've reached the Arthur Melo stage of the window. You go be as excited as you want about this, Kloppdog, but history would suggest this is another failure waiting to happen, so excuse me while I'm rolling my eyes at it.

08 Aug 2026 14:04:00
Victor, you're not allowed to mention previous loans.

Beckers will let you know what you can and can't post.

08 Aug 2026 14:24:06
Sigglebean, whilst I agree with your message, your delivery was quite dramatic and all 5 of those points were effectively the same point re-worded.

Some people are being dramatic about Araujo signing, but the answer to that isn't to be dramatic about people being dramatic.

Again, I respect and agree with the sentiment of your message, but it doesn't read how you thought it would, in my opinion.

08 Aug 2026 14:27:20
Unremarkable?
6'3, powerful physique, genuine pace, strong in the air, aggressive... ticks more than a few boxes.
27, in his prime years for CB, Captain of Barcelona in his mid 20s, used to highest pressure matches...more than happy with that!
Uruguayan, >30 international caps...you can be sure he'll have discussed with Nunez & Suarez.


And on a loan basis with option to buy if it works out...what's not to like?

08 Aug 2026 14:48:29
Kloppdog, I would suggest that Sigglebeans' post is a lot more overdramatic than somebody who's whinging that we've signed an injury-prone player. In my experience, the drama seems to be caused by the people who point fingers.

I don't think somebody making a seemingly negative comment is dramatic, I do think people who decide to burn them at the stake for it are, though.

08 Aug 2026 15:07:56
@MK, that was the point, bud. I asked ChatGPT to give me a good joke about the loan, they were all the same but worded slightly differently. Couldn't be bothered editing them, so posted them all. It was meant to be. 🤣

08 Aug 2026 15:20:07
I don't understand young people jokes anymore, Sigglebean. People under 25 call me "unc" or "uncle". Forgive me for not understanding the Chat GPT aspect of the joke then!

08 Aug 2026 15:25:53
Ah, yea, I get that, but I got the humour in this post.

100% have the same concerns myself about if he will be a good signing. But I can't tell the future, so not gonna have a panic attack. Hope it works out. Could end up a masterstroke.



I don't fancy either Isak or Wirtz's chances of being a proper success with us, but they play for us, so, by God, I hope they rip it up this year and for many years and I'll keep the hope until they do or are no longer our players.

08 Aug 2026 15:37:33
@MK, Loving being called a young person, I'm 49 mate!! I think I might have got lost in translation cos I've had a few rums and the sun's nowhere near the yardarm! Peace and love x.

08 Aug 2026 15:45:32
@kloppdog, Don't know if you were commenting on the wrong post, but being a mixed race Scouser, I can assure you my post wasn't meant to be racist x.

08 Aug 2026 15:46:59
I think the truth lies somewhere in the middle.

He fits the profile of the type of stopgap player we need at this time. We need his physicality, as, let's face it, our defence and midfield at the moment are soft.

Having said that, he's not all too comfortable on the ball and prone to making high profile gaffes. Like I said in an earlier post, it's telling that Barca fans are ecstatic that he is going out on loan.

They don't rate him.

I think that explains why some fans are torn or a bit negative. Fingers crossed, playing next to Virg elevates Araujo's game. They might complement each other. Long term, I have a feeling either of Jacquet or Leoni would be a better fit. If we mimic Arsenal, we could even play him at RB with one of the younger lads partnering Virg. I'd prefer a specialist RB though.

08 Aug 2026 16:20:46
@Salahlalala, the truth always lies in the middle of any discussion/debate of this type.

The issue here is what people decide to focus on, and that, my friend, is a choice. Or, as you have done, use perspective. Like, you may have wanted a specialist RB, but since we need help in both RB and CB, you get the hybrid in Araujo, and kill two birds with one stone.

I can understand both views without having to choose a side.

Now, this type of approach is what is rare, cos it's like you have to pick a side, whereas, as you said, the truth lies somewhere in the middle.

08 Aug 2026 16:23:38
If he does well: great business, top shelf defender for a decent fee.
If he does OK: good business, lets AI ease Jacquet and Leoni into it during the season.
If he is crap: no sweat, lost £12 mil.

Shrewd move, I say.

08 Aug 2026 17:21:16
@singlebean, Don't think I said anything like that. Definitely didn't. Something mixed up somewhere.

08 Aug 2026 18:02:18
Oh, it was meant to be funny?! Wow. I'm not sure who failed worse here Sigglebean, ChatGPT or you for using it!

08 Aug 2026 12:16:11
With Araujo impending, does that mean we'll have to confirm a non-HG sale to confirm Barcola?

Or I guess vice versa, depending which one is registered first?

08 Aug 2026 12:23:05
No, we can still sign who we like, it just means if we don't move on non-HG players, then we won't be able to register every player for every competition.

08 Aug 2026 12:32:43
Seems pretty likely to me that we'll be selling a fair few players soon. I think Jones and Gakpo will all be leaving in the next week, personally. Tsimikas, Elliott, Chiesa and Mac Allister going before the first game kicks off would not shock me either, though I think they all have an outside chance of staying.

We've had to hold off on sales to a) give Iraola a chance to assess the players and b) ensure Iraola had enough players for an adequate pre-season.

I'd expect things to really hot up now the first team players are all back from the World Cup and Iraola and his staff are back from the USA tour.

Keep in mind that you can change your squad registrations in January, so it's quite likely Ekitike will not be registered in the first half of the season anyway, then be added in January. He's not expected back until late December/early January so that makes logical sense to me and takes away the temptation to rush him back.

08 Aug 2026 12:43:30
Sorry MK, but we were short at least 3 players coming into this window, we've brought 3 in, and now you think we're going to flog off 6? Where's the logic in that, if you don't mind me asking?

08 Aug 2026 12:44:52
MKS, I think Tsimikas is staying as backup to Kerkez. The likes of Macca, Chiesa and even Elliott (who I want to stay) are gonna go.

Now, Macca and, say, Jones are strange ones, cos we may need the HG quota, hence Jones may stay. Macca has always said, directly or indirectly, that he would love to go play in Spain, so that's 50/50.

08 Aug 2026 13:08:52
Man.of.Todd, yup, I guess I expect that we're not going to be doing a Chelsea and have a squad of players chilling out enjoying their wages whilst not doing anything. :D

08 Aug 2026 13:33:27
People get too worried about the non-HG/HG thing imo.

The way I see it is Jacquet and Leoni are U21s, along with Nyoni and Trey. If we sign Mbaye, he will also be U21.

Gakpo and Macca are possibly going to be sold this summer if the right offers come in.

Chiesa will likely leave if we get the two additional forwards in.

Endo and Tsimikas all have one year left on their deals. I think both are seen as players who could easily be sent out on loan for their final season, if we couldn't sell them, or got squeezed on non-HG spots.

Lastly, I would not be surprised if they didn't register Hugo Ekitike for the first half of this season.

In summary, we probably shouldn't worry too much as there's plenty of moves the club can make to comply.



The bigger concern is that our lack of English players does impact the club's allowance of "Elite Significant Contribution" foreign player visa slots. Clubs can earn up to 4 slots through total playing time of English Qualified Players (EQP).

Based on last season's appearances, we only qualified for one ESC slot, which allows us to get the visa for Mor Talla Ndiaye. Unfortunately, we couldn't get one for Iffy Ndukwe.

Arsenal, Chelsea, Villa, and Man Utd have four slots. Man City and Newcastle have 3 slots.

Trey Nyoni and Rio Ngumoha becoming first team regulars will help, but we clearly have a long-term problem that needs solving either via academy or recruitment of English talent.

08 Aug 2026 13:45:39
FPF - just something interesting to talk about, mate.

08 Aug 2026 13:46:51
We have Koumas & Chambers to offer HG status if Elliott and Jones leave. So no issue there.

Possible issue is if no Non-HG players leave, we won't be able to sign Barcola unless Ekitike's slot is taken while he recovers.

Hoping either Tsimikas, Ramsey, or Chiesa gets loaned out or sold to free a spot or two.

Mbaye is in the U21 bracket, so that's fine.

08 Aug 2026 14:02:23
RedKei, being pedantic. There is no issue with HG status for registration of the squad. We can have up to 8 and can have 0 if we want. What I did say was that it does impact your allocated slots for young foreign talent visas. That does impact the academy's role in supporting the first team squad.

As for Tsimikas, Chiesa, and Ramsey - I would be shocked if a £700m+ a year revenue generating business that relies on Champions League qualification would not sign the first team players they need because of those three players occupying a non-HG spot.

They would at worst simply not register them for the squad, or better sell or loan them.

Gakpo and Macca are a different situation as they are first teamers.

08 Aug 2026 14:37:12
Chewy, I said, I think we'll sell Jones and Gakpo. The other 4 I'm simply saying it wouldn't shock me either way.

1. Gakpo will leave and be replaced with Barcola in my opinion.

2. Jones will leave and we'll promote Nyoni in my opinion.

3. If Tsimikas leaves, I think we'd promote Chambers or Scanlon, but I'd also not be surprised if Tsimikas stays and Chambers and Scanlon go on loan.

4. If Elliott leaves, I think we'd promote Morrison, but again, Elliott could easily stay with Morrison going on loan.

5. If Chiesa leaves, I think we'll sign Mbaye or promote Koumas.

Equally wouldn't be shocked if Chiesa stays and Koumas goes on loan.

6. I actually think Mac Allister might stay and surprise a lot of people. However, if he is sold, I reckon we'd probably go all in for Wharton.

Those 6 senior players though, I think there are still varying levels of doubt about them being at Liverpool next season. There's still over 3 weeks of the window left, which is plenty of time to make 3 more signings, which is the maximum you'd need to replace those 6 as I see it.

08 Aug 2026 15:01:41
Probably about right, MK.

Although Macca staying would mean you have a new contract issue to contend with. It would effectively be accepting he will leave for nothing.

And you must not forget Endo.

08 Aug 2026 15:12:40
We have got a few players in last year of contract. Elliot, Jones, Tsimikas, Bajectic, Gomez, Endo, Vvd and Alisson.
I wouldn't be surprised if we listened to offers for Elliot, Jones and Tsimikas.

08 Aug 2026 15:14:11
FPF, I don't see any world in which Endo leaves. At his age, you're not getting much money for him. He's also not on a big wage. He's retired from international duty, so he'll be a great guy to have around the training ground in international breaks, when all the u21's come up to work with Iraola. He's also able to play RB, CB, DM and CM to a pretty good level. He is a leader and former Japan captain. His attitude is impeccable and he's a genuinely good person as well, which you can never have too many of at the club.



I just can't see the logic in selling him. Alisson, Virgil and Endo are the only players we have left over 30. The last thing we need is to be in the same boat as Chelsea with a group lacking leadership and experience.

I could be completely wrong, but I doubt he's even being considered for sale unless he kicks up a fuss to leave or a surprise offer comes in.

08 Aug 2026 15:27:31
MK, fair points. We don't really see what influence he has on the squad. We know he is ultra professional, but he is also a pretty quiet, shy guy from the looks of it.

Despite all those things, it doesn't get away from the fact he's the only DM in the squad and occupies one of the non-HG spots.

08 Aug 2026 16:31:56
I would agree there's doubt over all of them, yes, but contrary to your opinion, I would be absolutely astonished if we moved all 6 on, given the inflated market and short time frame.

08 Aug 2026 12:08:14
{Ed's Note - Lassic has posted a new article entitled, Why a Loan for Araujo Could Make Sense

08 Aug 2026 13:50:23
A very sensible and balanced article. May be a great signing and if stays fit could be just what is needed until the younger centre backs are fit and ready. Why spend a fortune on a centre back or right back that will block the path of other players. If he does well, can buy at £47 million, which could be a good deal if he's had a good season on loan. However, if he's injured or doesn't perform we send him back to Barcelona, costing only loan fee and wages, which in current transfer climate is really a drop in the ocean. Hopefully, any remaining funds after signing Barcola can then be used to buy what this team has been crying out for, which is a proper number six.

This, in my opinion will unlock the rest of the team's undoubted abilities. Thanks to all who share their knowledge and rumours, it is what makes this site so unique. I have been reading this site several times a day for 15 years plus but rarely post. I think a lot of posters need to remember it is a rumours site and to give all players that sign for this great club our full support to enable them to be the best they can. Thanks to all the Eds as well. Looking forward to enjoying watching the team again this season, last season was by far the worst to watch that I can remember in my 48 years of supporting the team!

08 Aug 2026 13:56:55
Didn't expect my post to be turned into an article, but cheers.

Nicely edited down too, Ed. I appreciate that can be unintentionally long-winded. :)