Who is Ifeanyi Ndukwe, Levante’s rising signing from Liverpool? | OneFootball

Levante have signed 18-year-old centre-back Ifeanyi Ndukwe on loan from Liverpool, with no option to buy. According to Superdeporte, the Austrian will be available to Luís Castro’s squad at the earliest opportunity.

They opened the season with a 3-0 defeat at RCD Espanyol and continue to reshape the squad. Bardeli, Sotelo, Aïssa Mandi, Requena, Musuayi and Thiago Fernández have already arrived as they aim to avoid a repeat of last season’s fight for survival.

Ndukwe reinforces a department thinned by Elgezabal’s exit and the returns to Italy of Matías Moreno and Matturro after loans. Until now, Mandi had been the only central defensive addition.

Vienna-born in 2008, he is a modern defender, nearly two metres tall, dominant in the air and comfortable on the ball. He plays either side of central defence and uses both feet.

He came through WAF Brigittenau and Austria Wien’s academy, captained their under-16s, then stepped up to the reserves in 2024/25. At 17 he helped win promotion to the second tier, earned first-team terms and featured at last November’s Under-17 World Cup in Qatar, where Austria reached the final. Liverpool committed three million euros in January 2026 to sign him once he turned 18.

This summer he trained under Andoni Iraola, wore squad number 83 and impressed in friendlies, facing Sunderland and Monaco and completing 90 minutes against Wrexham and Leeds United. He even partnered Van Dijk versus Monaco, showing aerial strength and recovery pace in a high press.

He cannot play in England this season because he does not yet have a work permit, so the move offers valuable minutes in Spain. Ndukwe has expressed excitement about experiencing the Levante atmosphere.

Source: Superdeporte

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