Liverpool could agree a deal in the January transfer window, despite manager Arne Slot suggesting there would be no central defenders arriving at Anfield this month
Ifeanyi Ndukwe
Ifeanyi Ndukwe scored for Austria against England at the FIFA Under-17 World Cup
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Liverpool are in talks to sign a central defender, but they won't immediately be able to assist Arne Slot's first team plans. The Reds are looking to the future and are reportedly in the process of agreeing a deal to land Ifeanyi Ndukwe from Austria Vienna.
The Austria youth international, 17, cannot join the Reds in the coming weeks as he does not turn 18 until March. Premier League sides cannot officially sign young players from abroad until they have reached adulthood, but early agreements are commonplace, with Chelsea landing Estevao Willian and Kendry Paez long before they reached 18.
Liverpool hope that an agreement can be put in place for Ndukwe to arrive on Merseyside in time for the start of pre-season training in July, report the Athletic. The youngster would initially join the club as part of Rob Page’s under-21s development squad.
The Reds reportedly view the player as a defender with the potential to make the step up to the senior set-up, however. Ndukwe was spotted by Liverpool’s new director of global talent Matt Newberry and his team.
Ndukwe has impressed in youth football and was part of the Austria team that reached the final of the under-17s World Cup in November. The teenager stands at 6ft 5ins, and rose through the ranks to become a regular in Austria Vienna's reserves in 2024/25 and signed a three-year contract in the summer.
The centre of defence has been an area of scrutiny for Liverpool after they allowed Jarell Quansah to depart but saw a move for Marc Guehi collapse at the 11th hour in the summer. Ibrahima Konate will be out of contract at the end of the season, while Giovani Leoni has been out since suffering an ACL injury in his first start for the club in September.
The Reds maintain their interest in the 25-year-old Guehi, who will become a free agent in the summer. Liverpool face competition from foreign sides, including Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, who can now negotiate a pre-contract for the end of the season.
Oliver Glasner was adamant Guehi should not leave in September and does not want to lose him this month either. "Of course we want to keep everyone," he stated bluntly when questioned about the club's plans for Guehi in January.
Marc Guehi and Virgil van Dijk shake hands while Alexis Mac Allister looks on
Marc Guehi almost joined Liverpool in the summer(Image: 2025 Getty Images)
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Liverpool boss Arne Slot last month dismissed speculation about the Reds bringing in a new centre-back in January despite losing Joe Gomez to a hamstring problem. "First of all for himself but the injury of Giovanni Leoni is, of course, it has quite a lot of impact," Slot said in December.
"If you have four centre backs for the season, two right and two left backs with Wata (Wataru Endo) and Ryan (Gravenberch) who can help you out, but then you have an ACL injury, that is not very helpful. It is tough.
"And unfortunately Joe is now out of the squad. In a season, these moments for most teams happen. Some teams have so many (options) but most other teams do not."
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