Liverpool have reportedly reached an agreement for their first January signing as Arne Slot seeks to strengthen the squad after a disappointing start to the 2025/26 campaig
Slot’s team currently occupy fourth place in the Premier League and, heading into Gameweek 20, trail league leaders Arsenal by 12 points. They are also eight points behind second-placed Manchester City and six adrift of third-place Aston Villa.
Despite investing heavily in elite talent during the summer transfer window, Liverpool have yet to see the expected returns from some of their marquee signings. Record arrivals Alexander Isak (£125m) and Florian Wirtz (£116m) have struggled to make a decisive impact, while Milos Kerkez (£40m) and Jeremie Frimpong (£29.5m) are still finding their feet since moving to Anfield.
Hugo Ekitike has been the standout performer among the new recruits. Signed from Eintracht Frankfurt for £69 million, the French forward has scored 11 goals in 24 appearances, making him the most effective of Liverpool’s summer additions so far.
Even after spending a reported £446 million during the previous window, Liverpool wasted no time entering the January transfer market when it opened on January 1.
On January 2, The Athletic reported that Liverpool were in discussions over a move for highly rated 17-year-old Austrian defender Ifeanyi Ndukwe, who currently plays for Austria Vienna. The youngster was identified by Liverpool’s director of global talent, Matt Newberry, and is expected to join Rob Page’s Under-21 development squad if the deal is completed.
Standing at 6ft 5in, Ndukwe has captained Austria Vienna’s Under-16 side and has also featured regularly for the club’s reserve team during the 2024/25 season. He signed a three-year professional contract with the Austrian club in June 2025.
A day later, on January 3, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano confirmed the agreement, stating on his YouTube channel that the move was fully agreed.
Romano explained that the highly regarded centre-back, who will turn 18 soon, is set to officially join Liverpool in the summer of 2026. The player has already agreed personal terms, and the deal has been finalised, with Ndukwe expected to report for pre-season training with the Reds next summer. Romano added that several Italian and German clubs had shown interest previously, but Liverpool ultimately won the race for his signature.
Liverpool are also monitoring Crystal Palace defender Marc Guéhi and Brentford’s Nathan Collins amid uncertainty surrounding Ibrahima Konaté’s long-term future. Meanwhile, club captain Virgil van Dijk will turn 35 in July and is entering the final phase of his contract, which expires at the end of the 2026/27 season.
Elsewhere, teenage defender Giovanni Leoni, who joined from Parma in the summer of 2025, remains sidelined after suffering an ACL injury in his left knee during his debut against Southampton in the Carabao Cup in September.
