Liverpool fans may have been a little more excited by the prospect of signing Ronald Araujo in the not-so-distant past.But the last few seasons at Barcelona have not been too kind to the 27-year-old. He has gradually lost his place in the heart of defence amid persistent injury troubles, a managerial change, and the emergence of Pau Cubarsi, whose quality on the ball has not allowed Araujo back into the team.Across eight years at the club, Araujo has racked up 213 appearances — including 35 in the Champions League — in addition to 27 for his country. He is vastly experienced, but his confidence has seemed to dwindle as game-time has become more inconsistent and he is too often at the scene of the crime in the handful of high-profile games he has been able to play under Hansi Flick.But there is a feeling Araujo has more to give in a system that does not leave him quite as exposed.“Ronald is a great guy and a great player,” said Flick this week. “But our style of play is different from what he prefers.”“He is a powerful and fast player. It is a shame for me, and it’s been difficult, as I haven’t been able to count on him as much as I would have liked.”Though not without his flaws, Araujo can reinforce an area of the pitch in which Liverpool are lacking, and brings characteristics that could help him adapt to Andoni Iraola’s style.Above all, Araujo is a strong and aggressive centre-back. Sturdy and 6ft 4in (1.91m), he catches the eye when he hits full speed, both happy to stomp his way down the flanks from his secondary full-back role and to attack set pieces with all of his might. It is little wonder he has scored seven set-piece goals in La Liga since he joined Barcelona, and won over two-thirds of his aerial duels.Such physicality makes him a difficult player to shake off once he catches sight of the ball, capable of defending high up the pitch in much the same way Iraola demanded from his centre-backs at Bournemouth and Rayo Vallecano before.Here he is against Elche, after Barcelona are caught up the pitch after a quick attack breaks down. The opposition look to counter-attack with a pass into Aleix Febas, but Araujo is alert to step out of the defensive line, shepherd the midfielder away from goal, and nip in with a well-timed challenge to keep his team on the front foot.His next pass into Fermin Lopez is an example of the untidiness that can creep into his in-possession game.Just over 20 minutes later, Araujo is making a similar intervention, this time spotting a forward pass into centre-forward Alvaro Rodriguez.When the ball does come, Araujo is ready to step up, blocking the striker’s ability to turn on the ball and even reaching around to poke the ball away.That sense of anticipation and awareness is a crucial skill for Iraola’s centre-backs.He demands that his players pick their moments to lock on to a man-to-man press, a sequence of movements that requires buy-in from the whole team. If a midfielder presses, a teammate should be on hand to pick up the man he has just left behind, starting a chain of pressures that often stretches back to the centre-backs to ensure that no opposition player is left unmarked.