Ifeanyi Ndukwe has been impressing with his performances on loan at Levante, and Liverpool has the option to recall him in January now that he has reached the threshold for a work permit
VALENCIA, SPAIN - OCTOBER 21: Ifeanyi Ndukwe of Levante UD during the LaLiga EA Sports 2026/27 match between Levante UD and Athletic Club at Ciutat de Valencia on October 21, 2026 in Valencia, Spain. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
Ifeanyi Ndukwe has impressed on loan at Levante(Image: Getty Images)
Liverpool is set to meet with Ifeanyi Ndukwe’s agents in the coming days, according to reports in his native Austria, with a potential return to Anfield in January to be discussed.
The 18-year-old is currently on loan at Spanish side Levante after making the move towards the end of the summer transfer window. Having arrived at Liverpool after a deal was agreed with his previous club Austria Wien earlier in the year, Ndukwe impressed during pre-season, but was unable to play any part for the Reds once the 2026/27 campaign began.
The teenager was prevented from playing due to work permit issues, but has now met the standard necessary to obtain a permit, opening the door for him to play for the Reds.
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Liverpool included the option to recall the young defender from his loan at Levante in January, and according to Sky Sport Austria, that is now set to be discussed with Ndukwe’s agents.
The report claims that representatives from Ndukwe’s agency More than Sport by AS1 will meet with officials from Liverpool over the coming weekend to discuss his next steps. Included in that discussion will be whether he will be recalled from his loan in January, or if he will stay on loan in Spain for the remainder of the season.
It’s said that a return to Anfield has not been ruled out now that he is eligible to play for the Reds, although it will be dependent on him receiving enough playing time back on Merseyside.
Ifeanyi Ndukwe of Levante UD competes for the ball with Maroan Sannadi of Athletic Club during the LaLiga EA Sports 2026/27 match between Levante UD and Athletic Club
Liverpool could recall Ifeanyi Ndukwe in January(Image: (Photo by Manuel Queimadelos/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images))
Ndukwe is beginning to make a name for himself in Spain, having started Levante’s last three La Liga encounters, with his promotion seeing an upturn in form for Luis Castro’s side after back-to-back defeats.
With Ndukwe in the starting XI, Levante has drawn two and won one, with the teenager also having scored in a 3-3 draw with Sevilla. His performances have led to positive reviews from the Spanish media, with one outlet even going as far to suggest he could become "one of the world’s top center-backs".
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Liverpool.com says: Liverpool will likely prefer to keep Ndukwe out on loan for the remainder of the season where he will continue to get regular playing time, rather than bringing him back to Merseyside where he won’t have that guarantee - not for the first-team at least.
The injury situation could yet sway the Reds to bring him back though. Depending on how Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni fare upon their returns from injury, Liverpool might end up looking at Ndukwe as someone to plug a gap in the squad for the remainder of the season.
We’ll wait and see, but the ideal situation is that there are no further major setbacks in defense, and Ndukwe can carry on building his reputation over in Spain before returning to Anfield in the summer.