Liverpool have player banned from playing under Andoni Iraola until 2027 | Football | Sport
Liverpool are unable to utilise the talents of young defender Ifeanyi Ndukwe this season despite the defender catching the eye during their first pre-season friendly. The Reds are currently in the United States for their pre-season tour as they gear up for the new Premier League season. Saturday evening saw Liverpool secure a 4-2 triumph over Sunderland in Nashville in their opening fixture of the summer.
Ndukwe was included among the substitutes by Liverpool‘s new manager Andoni Iraola, but was thrust into the action in the 10th minute when he came on for the injured Joe Gomez. The veteran picked up an injury in the opening stages of the match and was forced off. And the 18-year-old proceeded to deliver an eye-catching display for the Reds and drew praise from fans, especially given the shortage of senior centre-back alternatives currently available in the squad.
Nevertheless, Iraola will be barred from using Ndukwe in the Premier League this season due to work permit complications. The teenager lacks the necessary points on his UK work permit to feature for Liverpool’s first team this upcoming campaign.
Consequently, Liverpool are expected to send Ndukwe out on loan in order for him to secure consistent first-team minutes and gain more points for his work permit.
Liverpool acquired Ndukwe from Austria Vienna in January in a transfer understood to be valued at approximately £2.5million, though the youngster did not formally complete his move to Anfield until this summer.
Ndukwe will remain involved with Liverpool’s pre-season preparations before any loan move away from the club.
Austria Vienna sporting director Michael Wagner explained at the time why Ndukwe’s transfer to Liverpool proved advantageous for both parties.
He said: “It is a great honour that one of the world’s best football clubs has shown interest in one of our home-grown players.
“The agreement with Liverpool FC is structured in such a way that Austria Vienna will come out well in any scenario, regardless of whether the option is exercised or not.
“For me, this is a clear win-win situation for both clubs. Above all, this story is a great tribute to the excellent work that is done in our academy every day.
“We have a number of players here with enormous potential, which we want to exploit even more in future and thus become a springboard for talented players into Europe’s top leagues – Austria Vienna is the right club for this.
“We were aware that there would be a lot of interest in our three U17 team players in particular after they reached the World Cup final.
“Basically, our goal is for our talented players to first establish themselves in the first team and thus recommend themselves for higher tasks.
“In this case, the overall package – both Liverpool FC’s offer to Austria and the prospects for Ifeanyi Ndukwe – was a perfect fit for everyone involved.”
