Virgil van Dijk's Insight on Liverpool's Rising Star Ndukwe
Virgil van Dijk has seen enough pre-season football to know when a defender has something. With Ndukwe, he didn’t need long.
The 18-year-old centre-back, signed from Austria Wien earlier this year, has muscled his way into Andoni Iraola’s plans across the summer schedule, starting against Sunderland, Wrexham, Leeds United and Monaco and looking every bit at home in a Liverpool shirt. Yet just as he has begun to make an impression, the reality of modern regulations is about to pull him away from Anfield.
Van Dijk’s verdict on a “big talent”
“Obviously I saw the games in pre-season in America,” Van Dijk said, reflecting on the teenager’s impact. “He's a big talent, big guy and he wants to learn and I had a brief conversation with him, especially in the last couple of days. For him it is just progressing.”
The Liverpool captain’s admiration comes with a tinge of frustration. Everyone at the club knows what happens next.
“I know he has to go on loan I think so let's see where he ends up. Yeah [it's a shame he has to move on loan].
“I don't know exactly what the rules are, but the matter of fact is that he has to go on loan and wherever he goes, he needs to learn, get better and be ready when he comes back to hopefully stay there.”
The rules Van Dijk refers to are the Governing Body Endorsement (GBE) requirements set by the FA. To secure a work visa, overseas players must rack up 15 points across a range of performance criteria. Ndukwe, still in the very early stages of his senior career, does not yet meet that threshold.
So, instead of bedding in under Van Dijk’s wing, he is preparing for a temporary move.
A talent in demand
If the paperwork is a problem, his reputation is not. Ndukwe’s assured pre-season displays have already turned heads across Europe.
The Athletic reports that the defender is weighing up strong offers from clubs in the Bundesliga, Portugal and Denmark. A switch to a higher-ranked league would not only test him at a better level but also accelerate his points accumulation, with an eye on a full return to Anfield in 2027.
For Liverpool, it is a delicate balance: losing a promising defender in the short term, hoping to gain a more complete one in three years’ time.
New faces at the back
Ndukwe is not the only fresh defensive story at the AXA Training Centre.
Van Dijk has already taken Ronald Araujo under his wing, with the Barcelona loanee settling quickly into the group, while another young centre-back, Jeremy Jacquet, is working his way back from injury.
“I've not seen any of [Jacquet]. I've spoken to him. I've seen him walking around and we have conversations,” Van Dijk said. “I'm not a doctor, so I don't know exactly the situation, but I have a feeling this week he could be back on the pitch, and hopefully as soon as possible.”
Liverpool’s captain may not diagnose injuries, but he does read dressing rooms. The sense around Jacquet is of a player not far from stepping back onto the grass.
Munoz adds a new edge
At the other end of the pitch, Victor Munoz has wasted little time making his presence felt.
Signed from Osasuna in a £34.5m deal, the attacker only made his first appearance recently, but his training-ground impact has already caught the eye of the senior core.
“He started [training] also on Wednesday,” Van Dijk confirmed. “He is very fast and it has been good to see the kind of quality he can bring to the club, and I think he had a great reception. It is just for him to carry that on to the next.”
Speed, direct running, a different dimension in the final third – Munoz has arrived as Liverpool fine-tune their attacking options heading into the new campaign. While he looks to build on an explosive start, Ndukwe prepares for a loan that could define his pathway back.
One new signing drives straight into the heart of the first-team picture. Another is forced to take the long road. The rules might dictate Ndukwe’s immediate future, but if Van Dijk’s judgement is anything to go by, Liverpool expect that road to lead straight back to Anfield.
