Liverpool's Transfer Window: Ndukwe's Loan to Levante Confirmed
Fabrizio Romano has confirmed it: Liverpool have finally nailed down one of the most delicate pieces of their summer puzzle.
Time is running out on two fronts at Anfield – the transfer window and Richard Hughes’ brief reign as the club’s transfer chief. With the market about to slam shut, every move carries weight. Every decision will feed into the final verdict on his stint before he heads to Al Hilal once the summer business is wrapped up.
And there is still a lot on his desk.
Anfield in transition, squad still catching up
Liverpool are in the middle of a major reset. Andoni Iraola has stepped in for Arne Slot, new signings have walked through the door and fresh minority shareholders are reshaping the club off the pitch. The direction of travel is obvious.
The squad, though, hasn’t fully kept pace with that shift.
Depth remains an issue, especially in attack. Several players are in limbo over their futures, and that uncertainty drops straight onto Iraola’s plate as he prepares for his first season at Anfield. His football demands intensity, numbers, and reliability. Right now, questions linger over whether he has enough of any of those.
That is why these final days of the window feel so sharp-edged for Hughes. This isn’t about ticking off a token signing. It’s about fixing structural gaps, avoiding a repeat of last summer’s missteps and leaving behind something coherent rather than chaotic.
The clock is loud now.
Outgoings, deadwood and difficult calls
It’s not just about who comes in. The exits matter just as much.
Cody Gakpo’s future hangs in the balance. Curtis Jones looks on course for Inter Milan. Around them is a cluster of players who don’t look like long-term pieces in Iraola’s project – names such as Federico Chiesa, Wataru Endo and Harvey Elliott are all being discussed as potential departures.
On top of the transfer traffic, Hughes has contract business to settle, including a key extension linked to Rio Ngumoha as he approaches his birthday next month. Each delay adds another layer of tension to an already cramped window.
Yet the thorniest issue on his list has been one that doesn’t even involve Liverpool’s matchday squad this season: the future of Ifeanyi Ndukwe.
Ndukwe’s breakthrough, and a work-permit wall
Ndukwe lit up pre-season. The Austrian defender looked every inch a player ready to force his way into Iraola’s thinking. Then reality bit. Without a work permit, he cannot feature for Liverpool this campaign.
That obstacle forced the club into a very specific search. They needed a loan that would do three things at once: test him at a serious level, give him regular minutes, and help him secure the criteria required for a UK work permit so he can eventually play for the Reds.
Now, according to Fabrizio Romano, Liverpool have their answer. An agreement is in place for Ndukwe to join Levante on loan.
It’s a smart, targeted move. Levante operate in La Liga, and if Ndukwe racks up enough games even over a six‑month spell, he should move much closer to meeting work‑permit requirements. The fit on the pitch looks good too. Levante currently have only three senior centre-backs, which opens the door for Ndukwe to play regularly rather than vanish into a crowded depth chart.
For Liverpool, that turns a frustrating paperwork problem into a development plan.
In a window full of noise, uncertainty and looming deadlines, Hughes has at least locked in one piece of business that ties the present to the future. Whether the rest of his late scramble lives up to that standard will go a long way to defining how his brief Anfield chapter is remembered.
