‘Deal Agreed’—Liverpool Beat Inter to Highly Rated Centre Back Signing

Defence could become an area of real concern for Liverpool.

A first deal of the January window has been struck. / Shaun Brooks/CameraSport/Getty Images

Liverpool have sealed a deal to sign 17-year-old centre back Ifeanyi Ndukwe from Austria Vienna, reports have revealed.

The 6'5" defender has made plenty of noise at youth level in Austria and was part of the side that fell to Portugal in the final of the Under-17 World Cup in November, catching the eye of plenty of scouts from across the globe.

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Inter are known to have taken a particular interest in Ndukwe but, as first revealed by Austrian outlet Kurier, it is Liverpool who have won the race to sign the talented teenager in what is described as a “multi-million euro deal.”

Local reports have specified the fee at an initial €3 million (£2.6 million, $3.5 million).

The news was quickly backed up by Fabrizio Romano, who noted Ndukwe had also rejected interest from clubs in Germany in favour of reaching an agreement with Liverpool.

While everything has been agreed now, FIFA rules state Ndukwe cannot make the move to England until he turns 18. With his birthday coming up in March, Ndukwe will only be permitted to head to Anfield in the summer.

Seen initially as an academy signing, Liverpool are confident Ndukwe has what it takes to make the senior breakthrough in the near future.

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Liverpool Scouting Senior Targets Amid Ibrahima Konaté Concerns

Ifeanyi Ndukwe is heading to Liverpool. / Jurij Kodrun/FIFA/Getty Images

Central defence has been a worrisome area for Liverpool over the past few transfer windows, with Virgil van Dijk turning 35 this year and Ibrahima Konaté now in the final six months of his contract.

Italian teenager Giovanni Leoni was signed last summer before cruelly suffering a serious knee injury on his debut, while a move for Crystal Palace’s Marc Guéhi collapsed at the 11th hour.

Liverpool are still chasing at least one new senior defender regardless of whether Konaté signs an extension or leaves on a free transfer, and among those to be linked with a switch to Anfield is Club Brugge’s Joel Ordóñez.

Reports have suggested a big-money move for Ordóñez has already been wrapped up but, according to Romano, this is not the case.

Ordóñez has admirers inside Anfield and has been scouted by the Reds, but he is just one name on a lengthy shortlist which is yet to be cut down.

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