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Liverpool teenager tipped to become "one of the best" by Levante boss

Liverpool fans should start getting excited about this young player
ByBen Gray
Levante UD v Sevilla FC - LaLiga EA Sports 2026/27
Levante UD v Sevilla FC - LaLiga EA Sports 2026/27 | Quality Sport Images/GettyImages

While there has been a lot of excitement and discussion around Jérémy Jacquet, Víctor Muñoz, Bradley Barcola and Ronald Araújo, could Liverpool's best signing of the summer actually be yet to feature for the club in a competitive match?

Back in January, Liverpool announced the signing of Ifeanyi Ndukwe. The teenager officially arrived from Austria Wien in July for £2.6 million. The 18 year old then featured prominently during pre-season, introduced ten minutes into the win over Sunderland, before completing the full 90 against both Wrexham and Leeds United, also stateside. Ndukwe then got his first taste of Anfield, introduced at half time when Andoni Iraola's team were beaten 3-2 by Monaco.

Ndukwe
Jul 29, 2026; New York, New York, USA; Wrexham AFC midfielder Davis Keillor-Dunn (7) takes a shot against Liverpool FC defender Ifeanyi Ndukwe (83) during the first half at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The young Austrian really impressed in these matches, with James Pearce of the Athletic noting that he brought "a real commanding presence". However, due to the fact he was unable to obtain a work permit, the youngster was ineligible to feature in competitive fixtures, so was loaned out to La Liga side Levante.

Well, he has already started to make his mark in Spain. On Monday night, Levante and Sevilla played out a crazy 3-3 draw at Estadi Ciutat de València. Isaac Romero fired the visitors in front in the 95th minute, only to be sent off for telling the home fans to shush during his celebration.... totally normal!

Then, in the tenth minute of injury time, after two shots were saved by Odysseas Vlachodimos, Ndukwe was on hand to prod home a last-gasp equaliser for los Azulgranas.

Speaking after the match, Levante head coach Luís Castro was full of praise for the youngster:

"He’s been good. There were more collective mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes, but he’s shown great mentality. He hasn’t backed down and has won many duels. The goal is deserved... After a mistake like that, nobody plays the way he did. If he continues to recover normally, he can be one of the best in his position. "
Luís Castro

Earlier in the night, Ndukwe had been at fault for Sevilla's opener, passing the ball straight to Robbie Ure, who rounded Mat Ryan, before the Scottish striker finished calmly. However, in the end, the Liverpool loanee made amends, hence why his manager praised his mental fortitude.

This was actually Ndukwe's first start for los Granotes. He had been an unused substitute for their first three La Liga matches following his arrival, before coming off the bench during defeats against Barcelona and Villarreal.

Having clearly impressed the manager, despite this early error, expect the Austrian to be in the lineup when they face Deportivo A Coruña at Riazor as soon as Friday night. Overall, the 18 year old is certainly a player worth tracking.

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