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Liverpool defender Ronald Araujo has touched on the possibility of him signing permanently for the Reds after a good start at Anfield.
The Uruguayan has quickly become a fan favourite with the Reds, with supporters recognising his efforts and commitment to the team despite only arriving on loan.
And, while fronting up to the English press for the first time ahead of Liverpool’s Champions League clash with Villarreal on Tuesday, Araujo admitted that he has been surprised by just how big and well-supported the Reds are.
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Araujo has been a surprise package since joining Liverpool, excelling and becoming Andoni Iraola’s first-choice right-back.
“It surprised me because you know how big Liverpool are, but when you get here you see the dimensions of this club,” he said.
“The structure, the fans, you know it’s a gigantic team, so i’m very happy because since I arrived I’ve been welcomed as just another player. Not just by the people at the club, but by the fans, so I’m very grateful to them and I want to give back to them in training and in matches.”
Liverpool can sign Araujo for around £47m by triggering a clause in their agreement with Barcelona. But asked whether he is already thinking about joining the Reds on a permanent basis, the 27-year-old claimed that it was still too early for any decisions to be made.
“It’s very early to talk about these things, I’m just trying to enjoy every day, continue to grow, develop, to play, to give what’s required of me, to have the confidence,” he said. “I’m really happy to be here and my family are very happy but it’s very early to be talking about those things.”
What is clear is that Araujo has found his smile again after a tough couple of years at Barcelona. The fans have played a big part in that with the welcome they have given him, and he admitted that the way they behave when spotting him outside of the pitch is also different to in Catalonia.
“I think people here, it’s almost like they’re more intense when you go down the street, to the centre of Liverpool or to eat something,” he said. “But that’s lovely, you see how they experience football themselves and I’ll tell you, I’m really happy here, my family are also very happy and that’s important.
“I’m just really hungry to go on in this season and to grow as a player, which I’ve always wanted to do, and I’m having that game time and those minutes and we’ll see what happens in the future.”