Liverpool broaden global youth recruitment with Ndiaye and Ndukwe investments

Liverpool are widening their search for young players overseas as they seek to rebuild their pool of developing talent following departures last summer, BBC Sport reported on Tuesday. The club’s global recruitment operation has brought in teenage defenders Mor Talla Ndiaye and Ifeanyi Ndukwe, with further arrivals scheduled for next year.

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The recruitment push forms part of a business model in which developing players also helps fund spending elsewhere at the club. According to BBC Sport, Liverpool have generated more than £230m since 2020 through sales of footballers who represented them at youth level. Academy director Alex Inglethorpe nevertheless said the initial intention with every signing is to develop someone capable of reaching the first team.

Matt Newberry has led Liverpool’s global talent department since the winter of 2024, working with regional scouts and contacts abroad. Inglethorpe told the BBC that Brexit had increased the premium attached to young English players. He described a recruitment approach that starts on Merseyside, expands nationally at age 14 and then looks internationally. Sporting director Julian Ward also brings an extensive overseas network, the report said.

Ndiaye, an 18-year-old left-footed centre-back from Senegal, joined in January for around £1m plus add-ons. Liverpool scouts identified him at the Under-17 World Cup in Qatar before representatives travelled to Senegal, visited his training environment and met his family. He has since played in pre-season under Andoni Iraola, having been an unused substitute three times during the second half of last season under Arne Slot.

Liverpool also moved for Austrian defender Ndukwe after the Under-17 World Cup, in a deal reported at £2.6m. The 18-year-old is now on loan at Spanish club Levante while seeking a UK work permit. Colombian midfielder Samuel Martinez, 17, is due to join next summer. Liverpool have also confirmed deals for Belgian goalkeeper Lucca Brughmans and French forward Djylian N’Guessan, both 18, to arrive permanently in 2027.

The club’s work extends beyond identifying players and agreeing transfers. Ndiaye lives with a host family, and Inglethorpe described support with language and cultural differences as important parts of helping recruits settle. Under-21 coach Rob Page praised Ndiaye’s attitude but stressed that he still had considerable development ahead of him, presenting his progress as promising rather than a guarantee of senior success.