Liverpool could viably recall one player from loan in January and are reportedly due to meet with his agents to discuss that possibility.
Among the group of players on the books at Anfield but playing elsewhere for the 2026/27 campaign is Ifeanyi Ndukwe, the defender who impressed in pre-season but didn’t qualify for a UK work permit in the summer and was duly loaned to Levante.
He has since met the criteria to play competitively in England and has been turning heads in Spain with his performances for Luis Castro’s side, and the prospect of a mid-season return to the Reds could now be on the cards.
Ndukwe’s agents to meet with Liverpool
On Thursday, Sky Sport Austria’s transfer reporter Eric Niederseer took to X with an update which could be quite intriguing for Liverpool fans.
He posted: ‘Ifeanyi Ndukwe (18) has already collected the points to qualify for UK work permit after his debut for UD Levante in September. His agents at More Than Sport by AS1 will travel to UK to meet with Liverpool FC and discuss a potential winter return and next career steps.’
(Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
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Could Ndukwe viably go back to Liverpool in January?
Often when a player is recalled from a loan spell, it’s either to recover from a lengthy injury or because they’re not getting adequate game-time at their temporary destination, but Ndukwe’s situation appears to be rather different.
With his agents seeking to meet with Liverpool chiefs about the possibility of a January return to Anfield, it seems they have a confidence that the 18-year-old could potentially break into the Reds’ first team in the early months of 2027.
Right now that seems difficult to envisage, with Virgil van Dijk and Jeremy Jacquet forging a strong centre-back partnership, although there’s a chance that circumstances could change in the meantime (e.g. if one of those gets injured or suffers an unlikely collapse in form).
For now, Ndukwe appears to be making good progress at Levante, having begun to establish himself as a starter for Los Azulgranas, so the best option might be to preserve the status quo and allow him to continue his development with the LaLiga side.
The more experience that he gains whilst out on loan, the better equipped he’ll be to eventually become a first-team regular for Liverpool from next season onwards. Still, that his agents are seemingly eyeing a January return to Merseyside attests to how well he’s been performing and how much confidence they have in his ability to make the grade at Anfield.