Ifeanyi Ndukwe once again caught the eye of Liverpool fans during the preseason friendly against Monaco, although Andoni Iraola will not be able to call upon him in the new season
Ifeanyi Ndukwe has impressed during preseason for Liverpool
Ifeanyi Ndukwe has impressed during preseason for Liverpool(Image: Getty Images)
Ifeanyi Ndukwe once again impressed Liverpool fans against Monaco — although they will be denied the chance to see him in action for the Reds once the new season gets underway.
With options at center-back running low and Ronald Araujo’s move from Barcelona not yet confirmed, Andoni Iraola once again turned to the 18-year-old as he started alongside Virgil van Dijk for the first time this summer.
Ndukwe, who arrived on Merseyside earlier this summer after a deal was completed with Austria Wien in January, has played all of Liverpool’s preseason games so far and has caught the eye with his composed displays at the heart of the defense.
He once again impressed against Monaco as he made his first start at Anfield, with fans enamored immediately with the teenager.
“Ndukwe, I’m standing up in my room clapping and applauding you,” one supporter wrote on social media.
Another said: “I'm a little bit gutted that Ndukwe can't play competitive games for LFC this year and needs to go out on loan. Whenever I have watched him across this preseason he looks class. Whoever has him for a year will be very happy.”
Ifeanyi Ndukwe started alongside Virgil van Dijk for the first time against Monaco
Ifeanyi Ndukwe started alongside Virgil van Dijk for the first time against Monaco(Image: Getty Images)
There were more fans bemoaning the fact that Ndukwe won’t be able to play for the Reds in the new season, with one posting: “Gutted we can't have Ndukwe this season.”
Another wrote: “Really impressed with Ndukwe once more. Shame he has to be loaned out.”
And another fan said: “Ndukwe is some player. Shame he can’t be kept round the squad this season. Can definitely play!”
Ndukwe is ineligible to play for Liverpool once the 2026/27 season gets underway, with the 18-year-old not meeting the necessary points to get a work permit in the United Kingdom.
He is therefore expected to head out on loan before the transfer window closes, although with options short in defense at the moment, he may be required to play one more game for the Reds before he heads out.
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Liverpool has a double-header against Italian side Como next week (August 16), with the first of those games at Anfield being played behind closed doors. Araujo should be available by that point, with the 27-year-old undergoing a medical on Merseyside on Sunday before completing his loan move from Barcelona.
Joe Gomez will be missing though, with the long-serving defender already ruled out of the Premier League opener against Newcastle on August 23 after limping off 10 minutes into the first friendly of the summer against Sunderland.
It’s still uncertain whether Jeremy Jacquet will be available, with the new signing having been missing from recent training sessions after feeling discomfort following his shoulder injury earlier this year, while Giovanni Leoni is continuing his recovery after tearing his ACL last September.