A player who impressed for Liverpool in pre-season will not feature under Andoni Iraola this year
Liverpool youngster Ifeanyi Ndukwe
Liverpool youngster Ifeanyi Ndukwe cannot play for the first-team in 2026(Image: (Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images))
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Liverpool youngster Ifeanyi Ndukwe was absent from their final pre-season fixture on Sunday. The Reds rounded off their summer preparation with a double header against Serie A side Como.
Andoni Iraola’s side drew 0-0 in a shortened 70-minute behind-closed-doors friendly at Liverpool’s training centre earlier in the day. They then faced Cesc Fabregas’ men again in a public match, where Cody Gakpo and Jeremy Jacquet’s first-half goals sealed a 2-0 win at Anfield.
However, 18-year-old defender Ndukwe was not involved in either of the games despite Iraola’s two squads consisting of 30 players. That is understood to have been a case of Iraola preferring his other central defensive options over Ndukwe, rather than due to his work permit complications, which will essentially ban him from playing for Liverpool for much of this season.
The centre-back joined from Austria this summer in a £2.6million deal after he turned 18, with the Reds having agreed a deal in principle back in January. Yet, despite impressing for his new club throughout this summer’s pre-season friendlies, he will not be allowed to play when Liverpool make the trip to Newcastle this Sunday for their first Premier League game of the campaign.
Since Brexit, with the UK no longer part of the European Union, clubs now have to navigate a more complex work permit system to ensure players are able to move to England. That is especially the case for those who are yet to establish themselves at the top level.
Liverpool need a Governing Body Endorsement (GBE) from the FA to secure a work visa from the Home Office. But the 6ft 6in defender, who came up through Austria Vienna’s academy and made just one senior appearance last season, has not yet accumulated enough points to obtain a GBE to receive a work visa.
Ndukwe cannot play for Liverpool in a competitive game in 2026 because he didn't reach the 15 points target required to qualify for a UK work permit.
Discussions are therefore ongoing over a potential loan move designed to secure his UK work permit. The club are assessing multiple opportunities and a decision is expected over the next two weeks before the summer transfer window shuts.
The better the league Ndukwe plays in, the more points towards a work permit he will earn. It is understood that, with the right move, the necessary points tally could be achieved by January.
Ifeanyi Ndukwe in action during pre-season
The towering defender is expected to be sent out on loan(Image: (Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images))
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This means Ndukwe may potentially still feature for Liverpool this season, after the turn of the year if he was recalled. But that is a potential drawback for clubs interested in a loan.
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has already been left impressed by his potential future centre-back partner, labelling Ndukwe a "big talent" after playing alongside him in the first half against Monaco earlier this month.
"Obviously, I saw the games in pre-season in America," Van Dijk said. "Big talent, big guy and he wants to learn. I had a brief conversation with him, especially in the last couple of days. For him, it is just progressing. I know he has to go on loan I think so let's see where he ends up.
"The matter of fact is that he has to go on loan and wherever he goes, he needs to learn, get better and be ready when he comes back to hopefully stay there."
According to The Mail, clubs in Portugal, Germany, Spain, Denmark and France have all enquired about taking Ndukwe on loan, but there is a sense that Portugal may be his preferred destination.
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