Liverpool's Transfer Strategy: Ndukwe's Loan to Levante
Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Liverpool have finally nailed down one of the most delicate pieces of their summer puzzle.
With the transfer window ticking into its final days and Richard Hughes edging towards the exit door himself, the stakes could hardly be higher at Anfield. The sporting director is expected to depart for Al Hilal once Liverpool’s summer business is wrapped up, so every call he makes now will help define how his short spell on Merseyside is remembered.
And there is a lot still on his plate.
A club in flux, a squad still catching up
Liverpool are deep in transition. Andoni Iraola has replaced Arne Slot in the dugout, fresh faces have walked through the door, and new minority shareholders are reshaping the club off the pitch. The direction of travel is clear: new ideas, new energy, a new era.
The squad, though, hasn’t quite kept pace.
Key areas still look thin, especially in attack and in terms of depth. Several players sit in limbo, their futures unresolved, and Iraola must prepare for his first season at Anfield without knowing exactly who he can rely on. His high-intensity football demands a deep, robust group. Right now, that remains an open question.
That’s why these final days of the window feel so critical. Hughes isn’t just hunting for one more signing. He’s trying to fix structural gaps, to avoid a repeat of last summer’s missteps, and to leave behind a squad that can actually sustain Iraola’s demands.
The clock is loud now.
Uncertain futures and a crowded to-do list
It isn’t only about arrivals. Departures and contracts weigh just as heavily.
Cody Gakpo’s situation is shrouded in uncertainty. Curtis Jones looks on course for Inter Milan. Several players clearly sit on the fringes of Liverpool’s long-term plans, among them Federico Chiesa, Wataru Endo and Harvey Elliott.
On top of that, Hughes must juggle key contract matters, including an extension tied to Rio Ngumoha, whose birthday next month adds another time marker to an already frantic schedule.
Yet one issue has stood out as particularly sensitive: the future of Ifeanyi Ndukwe.
Ndukwe’s breakthrough – and the work-permit wall
Ndukwe lit up pre-season. The Austrian defender impressed so much that it felt like he had kicked down the door to Iraola’s plans. Then bureaucracy slammed it shut. Without a work permit, he cannot feature for Liverpool this season.
That left the club with a very specific mission. They needed a loan move that would do three things at once: give Ndukwe regular senior minutes, push his development, and crucially, help him secure the criteria required for a UK work permit so he can return and actually play for the Reds.
Now, according to Fabrizio Romano, Liverpool have found their answer. An agreement is in place for Ndukwe to join Levante on loan.
Why Levante makes sense for Liverpool
It’s a smart, targeted deal.
Levante compete in La Liga, and regular appearances there should significantly boost Ndukwe’s work-permit case. Even a strong six-month spell could be enough to tick the necessary boxes and clear his path back to Anfield.
The opportunity is there for him to play. Levante currently have only three senior centre-backs, which opens the door for Ndukwe to earn serious minutes rather than sit on the bench and stagnate.
For Liverpool, that combination is gold: top-flight football, a realistic route into the starting XI, and a clear line back to Merseyside with a work permit in hand.
In a window full of moving parts and unresolved stories, Hughes has at least locked in one crucial decision. Whatever happens next, he can point to Ndukwe’s loan as a piece of business that fits both the present and the future.
