Liverpool have stumbled across a solution to one of Andoni Iraola’s big problems

As Liverpool adjust to life without Mohamed Salah, they looked to a summer signing on the right flank to provide flair and goals. And so one did. Not Bradley Barcola, though Andoni Iraola was encouraged the £123m arrival got into the positions to miss chances on his first start.

But Ronald Araujo, whose backheel set up Dominik Szoboszlai’s equaliser against Atletico Madrid. “You have to ask him if he meant it,” said the Hungarian of the improvised assist. “It’s the beauty of football, isn’t it?” smiled Virgil van Dijk. “He did very well there and I think that is an understatement: he did amazing before the goal.” All the more so because he, by trade and training, is less likely to appear in the opposition’s penalty box in open play. “Ronald is playing right-back, which is not his position,” added Szoboszlai.

Araujo celebrated emphatically. He did again at the final whistle, a huge figure framed by the Anfield crowd and the night sky. His previous Champions League game had come against Atletico, too: as a substitute when Barcelona were eliminated in last season’s quarter-finals, the captain who had lost his place in the team.

A few months later, much has changed. On the night Liverpool became the first team to start three footballers who had each cost at least £100m, they ended up grateful to the player who arrived without a transfer fee. Perhaps, like the first goal he made in Liverpool red, Araujo may prove an improvised, inspired assist from the departed director of football Richard Hughes.

The injury Joe Gomez sustained in pre-season may have forced Liverpool’s hand, making them confront the reality they had too few senior defenders. The need to save their budget for Barcola meant a loan signing had obvious appeal. That Araujo’s star had fallen at Barcelona meant he was available.

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Ronald Araujo in action for Liverpool against Atletico Madrid (Getty)

Then a couple of clueless performances from Jeremie Frimpong at the start of the season prompted Iraola to make a change. The Basque has shown an ability to act decisively and improve Liverpool with his changes. Araujo may benefit from being everything Frimpong is not: more sizeable and sturdy, with a greater grounding at the back and sounder defensive instincts, likelier to stay in position and harder to get past, he has been a reassuring figure. The surprise element may have come in his attacking efforts.

“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 be a restorative environment for Araujo, but there is a sense that Liverpool needed him. Right-back was shaping up as their problem position: even when Conor Bradley is fit again, his injury record offers no guarantee he will remain available. And so a central defender has been repurposed.

“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. Suddenly, there is a physicality and a solidity to the right side of Liverpool’s defence, with Araujo outside Jeremy Jacquet and both excelling against Atletico.

Jeremy Jacquet challenges for a high ball against David Hancko (Getty)

Liverpool have gained more balance in their team: when Frimpong and Milos Kerkez played, they had two very attacking full-backs and now one is more defensively minded. Getting Araujo in the side could help Liverpool defend set-pieces: apart from Van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate, they had too few good headers last season. Now they have one at right-back.

Much of Liverpool’s expensive recruitment has been with the long term in mind. Araujo is a reminder sometimes there is a role for short-termism. Liverpool have an option to buy him for £47m at the end of the season. They feel the future of the centre of their defence looks good, with Jacquet and Giovanni Leoni, and Ifeanyi Ndukwe and Mor Tala Ndiaye behind them. Logically, they will still have to buy a right-back next summer.

They have plenty of time to decide if that is Araujo. His two starts at right-back have come against a promoted club and a side, in Atletico, who operated with wing-backs, not out-and-out wingers. Different tests await. But for now, big spenders can enjoy the immediate impact of a man they borrowed.

And whereas assists from right-back for Liverpool used to entail Trent Alexander-Arnold, and while his most famous of all came against Barcelona, on Wednesday the right-back making a Liverpool goal was the man they got from Barcelona.