Anfield Watch
·5 February 2026
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Yahoo sportsAnfield Watch
·5 February 2026
Liverpool want a special attacking sensation.
What is very apparent with this new era at Anfield is that Richard Hughes wants to create a dynasty. He's not content with building a team for the now, his recruitment is very much focused on building a team for the future.
This means constantly buying the next big talents and making sure the best prospects in world football come to Liverpool.
We've seen this recruitment play out over the last year and a half. Under Hughes, Liverpool have signed Rio Ngumoha, Will Wright, Armin Pecsi, Ifeanyi Ndukwe and Mor Talla Ndiaye.
Not to mention more first-team level signings like Giovanni Leoni and Jeremy Jacquet. Meanwhile, the likes of Milos Kerkez, Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike were all also under 23 years old when they joined the club.
So, there is a clear shift towards Liverpool embarking on a model that is striving towards more sustainability. Hughes wants the club to have the best young players on their books, competing for first-team spots.
Where will this take Liverpool? Who knows. But it's clear that the work doesn't stop. Young talents are always emerging from every corner of the globe.
As head of the club's recruitment, Hughes has to be aware of these names and decide who the club will go for.
According to the report Liverpool are now monitoring the services of the 17-year-old, who is also on Chelsea's, Manchester City's and Arsenal's radar.
Whether the Reds can sign him remains to be seen. But they have been successful in the past with attracting players of Ibeh's ilk to Anfield.
Wright is an example from last season. He was wanted by many other clubs but he chose the Reds.
Could it happen again for Ibeh? It's a possibility. And he'd definitely be an exciting addition.
At youth level this season he has eight goal contributions in 15 matches for Middlesbrough's U18 and U21 side. Recently he dazzled scouts with a hat-trick in a game against Ipswich in the Premier League 2.
Tall, pacey and good with his back to goal. He is the kind of hold-up forward who likes to link-up with his teammates and who would fit in well at Liverpool.
He's also an excellent finisher and knows how to find the right areas inside the box to get himself into goal-scoring opportunities.
Despite being only 17-years-old, Ibeh has already made his debut for Middlesbrough's first-team in the FA Cup. It was merely nine minutes coming on as a late substitute, but it's a way for Middlesbrough to show that there's a pathway for him in the first-team.
Obviously, Liverpool are good at providing that pathway as well. There's clearly competition for Ibeh, too. So right now, this is a name to keep an eye on. Let's see how the situation develops.








































