Ronald Araujo replaces Virgil van Dijk & Liverpool sign a right-back: Danny Murphy addresses defensive transfer poser at Anfield ahead of windows in 2027

Dutch centre-half Van Dijk is taking in a long farewell at Anfield. His contract will, at the age of 35, expire when the 2026-27 campaign comes to a close. With no fresh terms being considered, free agency will be hit.

Replacing the commanding Netherlands international will not be easy, given all that the Premier League and Champions League winner has achieved across nine years at Liverpool. He will be remembered as a modern day great.

Jeremy Jacquet has settled quickly following his big-money move from Rennes, while there are high hopes for Italian 19-year-old Giovanni Leoni - who is working his way back from an unfortunate ACL injury. Ex-Barcelona captain Araujo has also been drafted in on loan from Camp Nou.

The no-nonsense Uruguayan has been filling it at right-back - as former Bayer Leverkusen wing-back Frimpong struggles to convince in a conventional defensive berth - but the 27-year-old South American is more accustomed to operating in the middle of a back four.

With that in mind, could he be snapped up in a permanent deal next summer and shifted across into the role currently being dominated by Van Dijk? That would then free up Andoni Iraola to acquire another full-back option.

When that scenario was put to Murphy, the one-time Liverpool midfielder - who was speaking exclusively to GOAL in association with Snabbare - said: “I think the club will be assessing Araujo game-in, game-out, week-to-week. I don't think they'll be necessarily thinking he's the one to come in and take Van Dijk's place because of his age. I think they'll always be open-minded to what else is out there.

“But in terms of the full-backs, there's a problem at Liverpool with the full-backs because what Liverpool's success has thrived on over a long period is having two full-backs who are wonderfully good going forward and the team suited their style and they had midfielders who filled in for them when they bombed on and all those things we know.

“The full-backs at the moment aren't good enough with the ball and that's a real problem when, in a lot of games, Liverpool will dominate the ball because we know football has gone from a men-to-men situation, which it was years ago, to a more tactical game where the centre of the pitch is very, very busy.

“Generally, the space will come in wide areas and teams will defend the middle of the pitch. So, the full-backs are getting lots and lots of the ball, the numbers tell you that. And the end product of Frimpong and [Milos] Kerkez is certainly not up to the level Liverpool need.

“And there is an argument also saying, are they good enough defensively to sacrifice that forward quality, if you like, and the answer is no. So, it is a problem. Both of them have failed, in terms of so far, let's say, in their Liverpool career.

“Now, the argument for Frimpong, he never really did play as a right-back, so what was the thinking behind that? That's a fair argument and I feel for him a little bit at times. I'm not just digging him out. He's played the best season of his career in a different position than he's been asked to play when he's come to one of the hardest leagues in the world.

“I don't think, although Araujo does it really comfortably because he's got a defensive mind and I know he had the wonderful flick against Atletico for [Dominik] Szoboszlai for his assist, but generally you wouldn't class him as a marauding full-back who's going to whip crosses in and create goals. So, I think it's a definite area for Liverpool to look at, even in January.”

It remains to be seen how much is left in the Liverpool transfer kitty for any business in the winter window of 2027. They splashed out £123 million ($165m) on French winger Bradley Barcola shortly before the last summer deadline passed.

Kerkez has looked slightly more reliable on the left of late, amid an unbeaten start to the 2026-27 campaign, but additions are clearly required in that area of the field - especially with Van Dijk on his way out - and targets are likely to have been identified that will help to raise the collective standard of Iraola’s squad.