Liverpool sent young defender Ifeanyi Ndukwe to Spanish side Levante this summer in a season-long loan, but the teenager hasn't made a single appearance for them yet
Andoni Iraola manager of Liverpool reacts during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Newcastle United and Liverpool FC
Liverpool may already have a concern over a loan star(Image: (Photo by Gaspafotos/MB Media/Getty Images))
Liverpool may have some early concerns over Ifeanyi Ndukwe's loan spell at Levante, with the young defender yet to make an appearance for the Spanish outfit.
The 18-year-old made a switch to La Liga over the summer transfer window in an attempt to gain some experience, as well as the opportunity to become eligible for a work permit with the Reds moving forward.
After a promising showing in preseason, there was some hope that the Austrian defender could quickly work his way into the team at Levante, but that has proved a challenge so far. For all three matches he has been eligible to play in, Ndukwe has featured on the bench, yet to gain a single minute of action for his new club, with Adrian Dela and Aissa Mandi preferred so far in the backline.
While it is still early days, there is a clear concern that the youngster may not land enough minutes to not only make an impact, but to make him available in the Premier League in the near future.
Ndukwe's loan came much more out of necessity than a desire for him to leave the club, with Liverpool unable to land a work permit for the defender due to the lack of experience he has at the top level.
Work permits are given via a Governing Body Endorsement (GBE), which means the player has to rack up enough points for playing in certain competitions for them to become eligible to feature in the division moving forward.
Liverpool youngster Ifeanyi Ndukwe
Liverpool youngster Ifeanyi Ndukwe is not short of suitors(Image: (Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images))
While the young centre-back certainly wouldn't meet that, having only featured in the Austrian Bundesliga once in his career, there was an opportunity to use an Elite Significant Contribution (ESC) slot. These are slots in a squad that would allow a player who doesn't meet the requirement for a visa play in the country.
A maximum of four ESC slots are given out, but they are determined on the amount of minutes given to homegrown talent. Because Liverpool lacked those minutes last season, only one ESC slot was handed to the team, and that was given to Mor Talla Ndiaye.
Ndukwe will become eligible for a GBE once he starts one match in La Liga, and with a potential break clause in the loan deal, there is a chance that he could return to the club and feature from January onwards.
However, the early signs are that minutes in the league could be hard to come by, create concerns that a year at Levante could follow with a lack of match action.
Should that be the case, there will be some hope that Ndukwe will at least be eligible for an ESC slot, with Liverpool set to hand many more minutes to the likes of Rio Ngumoha and Trey Nyoni, homegrown talents who will help unlock an extra slot in the team.
That may well be a last resort, however, with the Reds certainly hoping that Ndukwe can start making an impact soon that will make him eligible for a work permit while gaining valuable minutes and experience.