Liverpool have been linked with Club Brugge defender Joel Ordonez in January while also reportedly agreeing a deal for Austria Vienna teenager Ifeanyi Ndukwe to join in the summer
Archie Griggs and Shane Ireland Sport Central Content Editor
19:33, 02 Jan 2026
Ifeanyi Ndukwe is reportedly set to join the Reds next summer with a deal in place(Image: Jurij Kodrun – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
Liverpool have reportedly agreed a deal to sign a central defender as they aim for a fruitful start to the January transfer window. The Reds were the Premier League’s top spenders in the summer and appear set to continue their recruitment efforts in the coming weeks.
Arne Slot will be keen for proceedings to run smoothly, allowing new recruits ample time to acclimatise. The reigning Premier League champions have prioritised bolstering their defence, with Giovanni Leoni out due to a long-term injury and Ibrahima Konate nearing the end of his contract.
They’re also looking ahead, having reportedly struck a deal to sign a young defender with significant potential for development. Austria Vienna’s centre-back Ifeanyi Ndukwe is said to be poised to join Liverpool after terms were agreed at club level, according to reports in Austria and Fabrizio Romano.
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He’ll reportedly complete his move to Anfield in the summer and is regarded as a ‘huge talent’ by the Reds’ management. Ndukwe, who turns 18 in March, has attracted attention with his standout performances at both club and international level.
He has already represented Austria, playing for their under-17s at the World Cup in November. The young player is said to have given his approval for the Liverpool move and is expected to begin in the under-21s, with an eye towards future senior team appearances.
However, Ndukwe isn’t the only central defender linked with Liverpool, with Joel Ordonez also mentioned as a target. Reports in his native Ecuador say that a deal is close and although that is yet to be confirmed within Anfield circles, an overall fee of £43million has been, consisting of an upfront payment of £35m with an additional £8m in performance-related bonuses.
Club Brugge have reportedly decided to offload Ordonez, who plays for Ecuador on the international stage, before the January transfer window shuts. He was on the brink of signing with Marseille in the summer, but the Belgian club chose to halt the deal.
Joel Ordonez of Club Brugge has also been linked with a move to Liverpool(Image: David Winter/Shutterstock)
This comes despite Slot recently hinting that he would avoid sanctioning costly January transfers, much like his predecessor Jurgen Klopp, who famously bent this rule to sign Virgil van Dijk.
Earlier this week, the Liverpool manager commented: “First of all for himself, but the injury of Giovanni Leoni is, of course, it has quite a lot of impact.
“If you have four centre backs for the season, two right and two left-backs with Wata [Wataru Endo] and Ryan [Gravenberch] who can help you out, but then you have an ACL injury, that is not very helpful. It is tough.
“This is our way of working at Liverpool. The outside world wants to believe we have unlimited money but that is not true.
“You insiders know, and you are the only ones because the outside world only talks about our spending, what we have brought in [money] to spend. That is the way we work over here.
“You then have to accept that in certain games during a season you are short of a right full-back. But we are still able to win. I fully believe in that way of working, by the way.”
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