Liverpool may be unlikely to sign a first-team signing in the January transfer window, but they have agreed to bring a second young defender to the club.
Ifeanyi Ndukwe has agreed to join Liverpool this summer (Image: Jurij Kodrun – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
Austria Wien have revealed they have agreed a contract with Liverpool, giving the Premier League champions an option to sign one of their talented young central defenders this summer.
The Reds are yet to sign a senior player in the January transfer window after making a big splash on Arne Slott in the summer transfer window. However, they are actively pursuing young players with high potential and completed the signing of 18-year-old centre-back Mor Tara Ndiai earlier this month.
Another highly-rated 17-year-old defender Ifeanyi Ndukwe has joined the club at Anfield, with the talented teenager set to pen a five-year contract, according to the Clear.
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“Liverpool FC has secured an option to sign Ifeanyi Ndukwe, an Austrian Viennese homegrown talent, in the upcoming summer transfer window. This option can be exercised until the end of June 2026. The tall centre-back has been a Violet since the age of seven and has played for all Austrian youth and academy teams,” Vienna said in an official club statement.
Commenting on the deal, the club’s sporting director Michael Wagner said: “We are very proud that one of the best football clubs in the world has shown an interest in one of our players.”
Arne Slott does not expect any senior signings to take place in January, but Liverpool are still considering potential future targets (Image: Nick Taylor/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
“The contract with Liverpool FC is structured in such a way that Austria Wien can perform well in any scenario, regardless of whether the option is exercised or not. To me, this is a clear win-win situation for both clubs. Above all, this story continues to grow in our academy every day. It’s a great tribute to the great work being done. We have a lot of players here with great potential and we hope to exploit that further in the future and be a stepping stone for talented players to break into the top leagues in Europe (Austria).”Vienna is a club that deserves it.
“We knew there would be a lot of interest, especially after three players from the U17 team reached the World Cup finals. Fundamentally, our aim is for talented players to first establish themselves in the first team and then recommend themselves for higher assignments.”
“In this case, the overall package, which included both Liverpool FC’s offer to Austria and the prospect of signing Ifeanyi Ndukwe, was perfect for everyone involved.”
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