Deco: From a personal perspective, I really like Araujo and hope he succeeds at Liverpool

According to the Daily Mirror, Barcelona sporting director Deco spoke about Ronald Araujo, who joined Liverpool on loan. He said he has always admired the Uruguayan defender and hopes Araujo can succeed at Liverpool, while emphasizing that the player is still under contract with Barcelona.

Before the summer transfer window closed this year, 27-year-old Araujo joined Liverpool from Barcelona on a season-long loan. Liverpool have a £47 million purchase option.

Since joining Liverpool, Araujo has made four appearances and quickly shown good form. He played the full 90 minutes in victories over Ipswich and Atletico Madrid.

Deco watched Liverpool's victory over Atletico Madrid. Speaking about Araujo, he said: "I watched Liverpool's game yesterday. I really like him, I have a lot of affection for him, and I hope he can succeed. From a personal perspective, I really like him. Sometimes, he has not been able to perform at his normal level."

"His performances during his time at Barcelona were excellent. Sometimes, our ideas may not be completely aligned. He is still under contract with us, and everything has only just begun."

Deco did not clearly discuss whether Barcelona would allow Araujo to leave permanently in the future.

Liverpool manager Iraola also gave high praise to Araujo's performances since joining the club. After the team's victory over Atletico Madrid, he said: "I think his performance was very, very good. The previous match was already very good, and I even think he was better today."

"I think he defended very well on his side. Also, because he is a centre-back, sometimes we underestimate his attacking ability."

"Today he provided a very impressive assist for Dominik Szoboszlai, and from his position he also delivered several high-quality passes. I am very satisfied with his performance."

"He arrived here with a strong desire to prove that he belongs at this level. I hope we can help him maintain this form, because he is currently in a very good environment."

Araujo himself also spoke about his feelings after joining Liverpool: "We have a very good team, and we are improving little by little, working hard to meet all the demands of the coach and take the team to a higher level. Liverpool, like Barcelona, are a great club."

"I have always been working hard, and everyone can see that on the pitch. I am very happy here, and I still want to achieve more. I am really looking forward to continuing to give everything for Liverpool and making more contributions to the team."

Speaking about his experience playing at Anfield, Araujo said: "I really enjoy playing at this stadium. It is a very special and wonderful place. When we can show the results of our hard work in training here and achieve a good result, it makes us feel very satisfied."

"We faced a very strong opponent, and we knew they had enjoyed some great nights here in the past. But we withstood the pressure, played a very good match, and ultimately won the game. That is what matters most."