{"id":392138,"date":"2026-01-26T23:58:19","date_gmt":"2026-01-26T23:58:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/392138\/"},"modified":"2026-01-26T23:58:19","modified_gmt":"2026-01-26T23:58:19","slug":"liverpool-agree-second-defender-deal-as-club-release-transfer-statement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/392138\/","title":{"rendered":"Liverpool agree second defender deal as club release transfer statement"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Liverpool may not be likely to make any signings for the first-team in the January transfer window but they have struck an agreement to bring a second young defender to the club<\/p>\n<p>20:35, 26 Jan 2026Updated 21:00, 26 Jan 2026<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0_GettyImages-2247321656.jpg\" alt=\"Ifeanyi Ndukwe celebrates scoring against England at the Under-17 World Cup\" loading=\"eager\"  \/><\/p>\n<p aria-label=\"Ifeanyi Ndukwe has agreed to join Liverpool this summer\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Ifeanyi Ndukwe has agreed to join Liverpool this summer(Image: Jurij Kodrun &#8211; FIFA\/FIFA via Getty Images)<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Austria Wien have revealed that they have agreed a deal with Liverpool which gives the <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/all-about\/premier-league\" target=\"\" aria-label=\"\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\">Premier League<\/a> champions the option to sign one of their talented young central defenders this summer.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The Reds are yet to make a senior signing in the <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/all-about\/january-transfer-window\" target=\"\" aria-label=\"\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\">January transfer window<\/a> after backing <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/all-about\/arne-slot\" target=\"\" aria-label=\"\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\">Arne Slot<\/a> significantly in the summer transfer window. They have, though, been active in the market for young players with high potential and completed a deal for Mor Talla Ndiaye, an 18-year-old centre-back, earlier this month.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">It now appears that Ifeanyi Ndukwe, another highly-rated 17-year-old defender, will join him at Anfield with the talented teenager signing a five-year contract, per <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/kurier.at\/sport\/fussball\/liverpool-ifeanyi-ndukwe-austria-transfer-wm-held-profis\/403125000\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"KurierLink opens in a new tab.\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\">Kurier<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>READ MORE: <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/sport\/football\/transfer-news\/transfer-news-live-man-utd-36610417\" data-tmdatatrack=\"read-more\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"36610417\" data-tmdatatrack-source=\"editorial\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Transfer news LIVE: Palmer&#8217;s stance on Man Utd move, Liverpool block star&#8217;s exit, Kane talks emerge<\/a>READ MORE: <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/sport\/football\/news\/liverpool-defensive-injury-blow-latest-36618999\" data-tmdatatrack=\"read-more\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"36618999\" data-tmdatatrack-source=\"editorial\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Liverpool suffer another injury blow as defender set for two months out<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">In an <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/fk-austria.at\/en\/news\/fc-liverpool-sichert-sich-kaufoption-f%C3%BCr-ifeanyi-ndukwe\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"official club statementLink opens in a new tab.\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\">official club statement<\/a>, Wien wrote: &#8220;Liverpool FC has secured the option to sign Austria Wien&#8217;s home-grown talent Ifeanyi Ndukwe during the upcoming summer transfer window. This option can be exercised until the end of June 2026. The tall centre-back has been a Violet since the age of seven and has played for all of Austria&#8217;s youth and academy teams.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The club&#8217;s Sporting director, Michael Wagner, said of the agreement: &#8220;It is a great honour that one of the world&#8217;s best football clubs has shown interest in one of our home-grown players.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1_GettyImages-2242395403.jpg\" alt=\"Head coach Arne Slot of Liverpool\" loading=\"lazy\"  \/><\/p>\n<p aria-label=\"Arne Slot doesn't expect senior signings to be made in January but Liverpool are still looking at high-potential targets for the future\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Arne Slot doesn&#8217;t expect senior signings to be made in January but Liverpool are still looking at high-potential targets for the future(Image: Nick Taylor\/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;The agreement with <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/all-about\/liverpool-fc\" target=\"\" aria-label=\"\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\">Liverpool<\/a> FC is structured in such a way that Austria Wien will come out well in any scenario, regardless of whether the option is exercised or not. For me, this is a clear win-win situation for both clubs. Above all, this story is a great tribute to the excellent work that is done in our academy every day. We have a number of players here with enormous potential, which we want to exploit even more in future and thus become a springboard for talented players into Europe&#8217;s top leagues \u2013 Austria Wien is the right club for this.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;We were aware that there would be a lot of interest in our three U17 team players in particular after they reached the World Cup final. Basically, our goal is for our talented players to first establish themselves in the first team and thus recommend themselves for higher tasks.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;In this case, the overall package \u2013 both Liverpool FC&#8217;s offer to Austria and the prospects for Ifeanyi Ndukwe \u2013 was a perfect fit for everyone involved.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\"><a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/chat.whatsapp.com\/Feq1SEG6mXDIZGTTnek7oz\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"Join our new WhatsApp communityLink opens in a new tab.\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\">Join our new WhatsApp community<\/a> and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. 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