Liverpool's Centre-Back Puzzle: Luke Chambers and Celtic's Interest
Liverpool’s centre-back puzzle is starting to move again – and Luke Chambers could be the first piece to shift.
After a season wrecked by injuries, Liverpool’s squad felt bloated yet strangely fragile. Arne Slot’s reluctance to lean on the club’s academy talent – Rio Ngumoha aside – only added to that sense of stasis around Anfield.
That mood has changed under Andoni Iraola. The Spaniard has wasted little time backing youth, with Lewis Koumas, Trey Nyoni and Isaac Mabaya all positioned to play meaningful roles this season. The pathway looks clearer. The decisions, sharper.
Now comes the next big call.
Celtic eye Chambers as Liverpool reshape defence
Liverpool spent the summer shoring up the back line, with Ronald Araujo and Jeremy Jacquet arriving to give Iraola the kind of defensive platform his system demands. They needed it. Last season’s lack of depth at centre-back left the Reds one injury away from chaos.
That’s why players like Mabaya and Luke Chambers were initially kept close, part of a wider safety net while Iraola assessed his options.
But that stance may be shifting.
Journalist Lewis Bower has reported that Celtic “really like Luke Chambers”, with the Scottish champions now strongly linked with a move for the defender. For a player sitting as Liverpool’s fifth-choice centre-back, that level of interest – and Liverpool’s openness to finding him a new home – is significant.
It suggests the club are ready to open a slot in the heart of their defence. And that leads straight to one name.
Ndukwe’s work-permit race
Ifeanyi Ndukwe turned heads in pre-season. The Austrian centre-back looked far more seasoned than his CV suggested, defending with a calm authority and timing his tackles with the kind of precision that instantly wins over supporters.
With Ibrahima Konate gone, there was a glaring gap in Liverpool’s defensive hierarchy. Ndukwe briefly looked like he might fill it.
The obstacle was bureaucracy, not ability. Without a work permit, Liverpool had to send him out on loan, with Levante chosen as the club where he could build minutes and points towards eligibility.
On paper, it was a smart route. Get him games in La Liga, secure the permit, recall him, and drop him into Iraola’s plans.
Reality has been slower. Levante have yet to give Ndukwe the regular football he needs, leaving him stuck in limbo – no closer to the work-permit threshold and no use to Liverpool in the short term.
That’s where Chambers’ situation becomes crucial.
If Celtic do land Chambers in January and Ndukwe still hasn’t collected enough points for his permit, Liverpool could find themselves unexpectedly light again at centre-back. The very scenario they tried so hard to avoid.
A clear opening – if Liverpool can take it
Liverpool are expected to be active again in the winter window, but the ideal scenario is obvious: free up Chambers’ spot and replace him not with another signing, but with Ndukwe.
No adaptation period. No inflated mid-season fees. Just a defender who has already impressed the staff and the fanbase, stepping into a vacancy that the club have effectively prepared for him.
For that to happen, Levante need to play their part and actually play him. If they don’t, Liverpool’s carefully laid plan risks unravelling, forcing Iraola back into the market instead of promoting from within.
The intention is clear: make room, clear the pathway, and let the next centre-back step through. Whether that next man is Ndukwe or an external signing will say a lot about how bold Liverpool are prepared to be in this new era.
