Defensive crisis forces Liverpool to bank on Ndukwe signing

Liverpool have paid £2.5 million to bring 18‑year‑old centre‑back Ifeanyi Ndukwe from Austria Vienna, with the youngster arriving as the preseason friendly at Nissan Stadium in Nashville began on Saturday, after a standout performance at the FIFA Under‑17 World Cup last winter, to plug a growing defensive gap.

The defensive shortage was highlighted when Liverpool’s Joe Gomez limped off after a hard tackle in the opening minutes of the friendly against Sunderland, confirming a fresh blow to the club’s already thin centre‑back options. Giovanni Leoni remains sidelined with an ACL injury, while Jeremy Jacquet has only recently returned to full training, further stretching the back line.

Andoni Iraola’s squad was finalising its defensive lineup for the upcoming tour when the injury to Gomez arrived, leaving the Basque tactician facing the prospect of starting the season without two senior centre‑backs. To cover the void, Iraola paired the untested 18‑year‑old Senegalese defender Mor Talla Ndiaye with Ndukwe, relying on youthful prospects after Virgil van Dijk’s withdrawal.

Ndukwe’s work‑permit hiccup prevents him from being registered for the 2026/27 campaign, prompting Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes to seek a club willing to take the Austrian talent on loan for the season ahead.

A report notes that clubs from Portugal, Spain and the Netherlands are queuing up to secure Ndukwe on loan, with a return to Austria also possible, highlighting the breadth of interest in the young defender.

Liverpool have a history of developing young players through temporary moves, having previously loaned out Conor Bradley, Lewis Koumas and James McConnell, and the original plan to keep Ndukwe within the first‑team group has been derailed, leaving the club to rely once again on the loan system to manage its defensive depth.