FootyChatter.com

Join The Club for quick access. Enter your email below and we'll send confirmation plus sign you up to our newsletter.

By submitting your information, you confirm you are aged 16 or over,

have read our

Privacy Policy

and agree to the

Terms & Conditions. Geographical rules apply.

Liverpool missed out on Marc Guehi but have still moved to strengthen their future defensive ranks

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Liverpool have reportedly landed the signing of a young defender ahead of the summer transfer window. The Reds’ interest in now-Manchester City defender Marc Guehi was no secret, with a deal collapsing on deadline day in the summer. However, Arne Slot’s side have already managed to strengthen that area of the pitch with another signing.

It has been a problem position for the Merseyside club for some time, with one of their most recent signings, teenage defender Giovanni Leoni, tearing his ACL on his Liverpool debut in September. Their summer acquisition has nowhere near the seniority that Guehi would have brought, but the hope at Anfield will be that they’ve found another diamond they can shape.

According to Austrian newspaper Kronen Zeitung, as quoted by Sport Witness, Liverpool have signed Austria Vienna centre-back Ifeanyi Ndukwe. The 17-year-old has reportedly cost the club €4. 2m (£3. 6m), but the Wien-born defender will not move to the Premier League until the summer. The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week. That’s due to Brexit regulations which restrict the purchase of players under 18, a milestone Ndukwe won’t hit until March. Based on a report from Kurier, Liverpool had to battle Italian side Inter Milan, and others, for the young defender’s signature, but are believed to have won the race. The Austria national team’s U18 boss, Hermann Stadler, told Kronen Zeitung: “He’s developed superbly and will go far. I would have liked to see him play in Austria for another year. In two or three years, we’ll see if it was the right move. ”

In Four Four Two’s opinion, while Ndukwe’s interest from across Europe certainly bodes well for Liverpool’s success in this deal, it could be some time until the impact on the first team is felt. The young Austrian is yet to make a senior appearance for his current employers, and the Premier League is undoubtedly a much more difficult arena than Austria’s top tier. Nevertheless, players can develop and progress quickly, and with a lack of numbers at the back for the Reds, those at Anfield will hope he can contribute sooner rather than later, once he arrives in the summer. Ndukwe is valued at €1m, according to Transfermarkt. Get premium Liverpool tickets HERE with Seat Unique! Seat Unique tickets at Anfield offer a fantastic matchday. You get premium padded seats in the new Anfield Road stand (Block AM5, front rows) and access to the Brodies Lounge for three hours pre-match. Enjoy street food, a complimentary half-time drink, a matchday programme, and entertainment, including a Liverpool legend appearance, making it a truly elevated experience. Isaac Stacey Stronge is a freelance football writer working for Four Four Two, Manchester United and Football League World. He has been a season ticket holder at Stockport County throughout the Hatters’ meteoric rise from the National League North to League One and is a die-hard Paddy Madden fan. You must confirm your public display name before commenting Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.

Four Four Two is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

©

Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury,

Bath

BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait. ..