CHICAGO, USA - Sunday, August 2, 2026: Liverpool's Ifeanyi Ndukwe during the pre-match warm-up before a pre-season friendly match between Liverpool FC and Leeds United at Soldier Field. Leeds won 4-2. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
CHICAGO, USA - Sunday, August 2, 2026: Liverpool's Ifeanyi Ndukwe during the pre-match warm-up before a pre-season friendly match between Liverpool FC and Leeds United at Soldier Field. Leeds won 4-2. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Ifeanyi Ndukwe‘s forced loan move to Levante means the centre-back will miss out on homegrown status for Liverpool when he eventually turns 21.
Ndukwe is set to spend at least the first half of this season on loan in LaLiga, after a deal was agreed with Levante.
His move to Spain comes due to UK work permit rules post-Brexit, but a break clause has been negotiated by the two clubs which would allow him to return to Anfield in January if circumstances change.
The priority at this stage is reaching eligibility to play competitive games in England, however the 18-year-old’s situation has had an impact on his squad status.
With Liverpool forced to loan Ndukwe out to a club overseas, it means he will not meet the criteria to be classed as a homegrown player after he turns 21 in 2029.
NASHVILLE, USA - Saturday, July 25, 2026: Liverpool's Ifeanyi Ndukwe during a friendly match between Liverpool FC and AFC Sunderland at the Nashville SC Stadium. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
NASHVILLE, USA - Saturday, July 25, 2026: Liverpool's Ifeanyi Ndukwe during a friendly match between Liverpool FC and AFC Sunderland at the Nashville SC Stadium. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
To be classed as homegrown in the Premier League, a player must be registered to any club within the English or Welsh FAs for a period, continuous or otherwise, of three seasons or 36 months by the end of the season in which they turn 21.
If Ndukwe had qualified for a UK work permit immediately and spent the 2026/27, 2027/28 and 2028/29 campaigns either at Liverpool or on a domestic loan, he would have been homegrown eligible from 2029/20.
But even if he returns to Liverpool in January, he would not gain eligibility having missed out on the 36-month threshold.
How Calvin Ramsay situation explains homegrown issue
NEW YORK, USA - Wednesday, July 29, 2026: (L-R) Liverpool's head coach Andoni Iraola speaks to Calvin Ramsay and Kieran Morrison on the pitch before a pre-season friendly match between Liverpool FC and Wrexham AFC at Yankee Stadium. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
NEW YORK, USA - Wednesday, July 29, 2026: (L-R) Liverpool's head coach Andoni Iraola speaks to Calvin Ramsay and Kieran Morrison on the pitch before a pre-season friendly match between Liverpool FC and Wrexham AFC at Yankee Stadium. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
While there is often confusion over a player’s registration – as, in this example, Ndukwe will remain a Liverpool player even on loan at Levante – Calvin Ramsay‘s situation clears up any doubts over the homegrown rules.
Ramsay joined Liverpool from Aberdeen as an 18-year-old in 2022, and was on course for homegrown status after turning 21 at the start of the 2024/25 season.
But a half-season loan spell with Scottish side Kilmarnock meant he did not spend the requisite three seasons within the English or Welsh FAs before the end of the campaign in which he celebrated his 21st birthday.
Liverpool Homegrown Players: 2026/27
Goalkeepers
Freddie Woodman (29)
Vitezslav Jaros (24)
Harvey Davies (22)
Defenders
Joe Gomez (28)
Conor Bradley (22)
Jeremie Frimpong (25)
Owen Beck (23)
Luke Chambers (21)
Isaac Mabaya (21)
Forwards
Kaide Gordon (21)
That only complicated Ramsay’s situation further as he needs to be registered as one of 17 non-homegrown players in the Premier League.
Ndukwe will take up one of those 17 slots from the 2029/30 season, though if he is still considered a viable first-team option by that point it will be of little concern to Liverpool.
Giovanni Leoni is still in line to achieve homegrown status by 2028/29, while a proposed deal for Ibrahim Mbaye this summer would see the Senegal winger eligible from 2029/30.
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LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Sunday, May 24, 2026: Liverpool's Curtis Jones during the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Brentford FC at Anfield. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Football – English Football League Trophy – Northern Group H – Burton Albion FC v Liverpool FC Under-21’s
BURTON, ENGLAND - Tuesday, September 2, 2025: Liverpool's Kareem Ahmed on the pitch before the English Football League Trophy Northern Group H match between Burton Albion FC and Liverpool FC Under-21's at The Burton Albion FC Stadium. Burton won 2-0. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Gakpo Barcola
Gakpo Barcola