Austria Wien could sign one of their former players from Liverpool this summer according to reports from the country this week.
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Liverpool got their pre-season underway with a 4-2 win over Sunderland in Nashville over the weekend, giving fans an early look at how Andoni Iraola’s squad is shaping up ahead of the new campaign.
The friendly also doubled as a proving ground for a host of fringe players hoping to catch the eye before the Reds’ competitive fixtures begin.
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In the opening 10 minutes, summer signing Ifeanyi Ndukwe was thrown into the action after Joe Gomez went down injured.
The 18-year-old centre-back, who only turned 18 in March, made an encouraging first appearance for his new club, showing composure on the ball and maturity against senior opposition despite the circumstances of his introduction.
Ndukwe’s promising cameo, however, will not translate into competitive minutes for Liverpool this season.
According to the Athletic, the towering defender does not currently meet the points threshold required for a UK work permit, known as a Governing Body Endorsement, which demands players accumulate 15 points across various criteria including senior appearances in top-flight football.
Because Ndukwe has not featured regularly for Austria Wien’s first team in Austria’s top division, he falls short of the required tally.
As a result, Liverpool are now expected to send him out on loan for the 2026/27 season to continue his development and build up the senior experience needed to satisfy the permit criteria.
The Reds completed the deal for Ndukwe from Austria Wien for a reported fee in the region of £2.6 million.
With Liverpool now needing to find Ndukwe a temporary home, reports out of Austria suggest his former club could be in the frame to take him back on loan for the upcoming season.
Austria Wien sporting director Michael Wagner had already described the structure of the original transfer as a “win-win” for both parties, and a loan return would keep the highly-rated academy product playing regular first-team football in a league where he is already familiar with the surroundings.
Ndukwe, who came through Austria Wien’s youth system since the age of seven and starred for Austria at the 2025 U17 World Cup, would get valuable senior game time back in Vienna while Liverpool wait for him to qualify for a work permit.
For now, though, no loan destination has been confirmed, and Liverpool are expected to weigh up several options before deciding where the defender spends the season.
Austria Wien
Ifeanyi Ndukwe