What Liverpool would prefer to do with Ifeanyi Ndukwe in January after his work permit is secured
Below is a summary of the full article. Click here for the full version from Rousing the Kop or go back to LFC Live.
Ifeanyi Ndukwe finally made his Levante debut on Sunday, meaning he is likely to now qualify for a British work permit.There has been some frustration from Liverpool supporters over Ndukwe‘s situation, with his pre-season performances announcing that he could be of immediate help to the Reds.That he has been relegated to a bench role for Levante so far has deepened that annoyance, with fans wondering whether the 18-year-old could be brought back into Andoni Iraola’s squad during the January transfer window. Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images Liverpool want Ndukwe to get more minutesAlthough the ease with which Jeremy Jacquet has adapted to English football has made Liverpool’s centre-back issues less prominent, they are still slightly thin in the position at this time.Such is the lack of depth, Mor Talla Ndiaye may make his debut against Tottenham, although as Lynch points out, the imminent returns of Joe Gomez and Giovanni Leoni means that Liverpool should have enough, making a return for Ndukwe a pointless exercise.Asked what is likely to happen with the Austrian while appearing on Anfield Index this Monday, the journalist said that things will be assessed closer to the time, but that a different loan for the second half of the season cannot be ruled out yet.“They’ll see with Levante where it’s up to, can he build on his minutes, can he get into the starting XI, so we’ll see with that, but it’s very much a let’s take a view on it in January in terms of whether they think the Levante loan is right for him,” Lynch said.
Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty ImagesREAD MORE: Levante manager gives verdict on Ifeanyi Ndukwe as Liverpool loanee finally debuts vs Barcelona“The expectation is that he’s going to be in a position to qualify for a work permit in January, so Liverpool will have the option to bring him back. But the decision will be do they need to rush him back?“The best thing for him is to play, and Liverpool shouldn’t be in a position to need him.
Joe Gomez is close, Giovanni Leoni should be back after the international break albeit they’ll have to manage him a little bit but he will be back as an option, Araujo’s looked excellent, Jacquet has nailed down that starting spot next to Van Dijk. “They’ll take a view on it, but the preference will be not to bring him into the Liverpool squad because there’s probably not a massive need for him and the better thing for him is to play more really.”Obviously, any unforeseen injury issues could change the picture, but for now it appears that Liverpool will stick to the plan of keeping Ndukwe out on loan for the rest of the campaign.