Image Credits: Imago Images
Liverpool will look to bounce back from their weekend defeat to Bournemouth when they face Qarabag in the Champions League on Wednesday. Off the transfer front, Andy Robertson’s future remains a topic of discussion, with Tottenham interested in the Scotland captain, whose contract expires at the end of the season.
The Reds have ended talks with Tottenham regarding their interest in Robertson. Spurs had made a late approach last week as manager Thomas Frank looked to add experienced players to his squad.
While Liverpool considered the bid out of respect for Robertson’s eight-and-a-half-year contribution and his expiring contract, the club decided not to continue negotiations. The Scotland defender, who turns 32 in March, had not requested a move, and Liverpool currently have no cover for him or Milos Kerkez at left-back.
Slot has been hit by defensive setbacks, with Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni ruled out for the season due to injuries. Joe Gomez was forced off in the first half at Bournemouth with a knee bruise, while fellow centre-back Ibrahima Konate has missed the last two matches following the death of his father.
The Reds have also been credited with interest in RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande. Liverpool earlier confirmed the signing of defender Mor Talla Ndiaye.
The Senegalese youth centre-back, who turned 18 earlier this month, has joined the Reds’ Under-21 squad from Amitie FC in Senegal. He is yet to make an appearance, with Under-21 coach Rob Page revealing that a medical issue was discovered before his arrival at Anfield.
The Reds have now reached a deal in principle to sign Ifeanyi Ndukwe from Austria Vienna. A club statement read: Liverpool have agreed a deal in principle to sign Ifeanyi Ndukwe from Austria Vienna, subject to international clearance.
“The Austrian-born defender, who turns 18 in March, will link up with the Reds’ U21 squad in the summer. Ndukwe has represented his country at youth level and appeared in all but one of their matches at the 2025 U17 World Cup, where they finished as runners-up. A regular for the reserve side of Austria Vienna, he has been part of their senior team’s matchday squad on nine occasions this season.”
Austria Vienna Sporting director Michael Wagner said: “It is a great honour that one of the world’s best football clubs has shown interest in one of our home-grown players. The agreement with Liverpool FC is structured in such a way that Austria Wien will come out well in any scenario, regardless of whether the option is exercised or not.
“For me, this is a clear win-win situation for both clubs. Above all, this story is a great tribute to the excellent work that is done in our academy every day. We have a number of players here with enormous potential, which we want to exploit even more in future and thus become a springboard for talented players into Europe’s top leagues – Austria Wien is the right club for this.
“We were aware that there would be a lot of interest in our three U17 team players in particular after they reached the World Cup final. Basically, our goal is for our talented players to first establish themselves in the first team and thus recommend themselves for higher tasks. In this case, the overall package – both Liverpool FC’s offer to Austria and the prospects for Ifeanyi Ndukwe – was a perfect fit for everyone involved.”
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