Liverpool transfer news: Deal 'agreed' for centre-back as Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate futures in doubt

Liverpool have agreed to sign teenager Ifeanyi Ndukwe from Austria Vienna, with a deal in place for the summer, the latest report has claimed.

The Reds were held to a frustrating stalemate by Leeds United on Thursday, though they are still in the Premier League's top four ahead of their clash against Fulham on Sunday.

Arne Slot has guided the club to an unbeaten streak of eight games, and he has often credited the team's improved defensive resilience for their uptick in form.

However, the club only have three centre-backs available in Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez, though the latter two have proven to be unreliable because of either form or fitness.

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano reports that Liverpool have struck a deal with Austria Vienna for Ndukwe, with the 17-year-old set to link up with the Reds squad in the summer.

Ndukwe in profile: What type of centre-back will Liverpool get?

Ndukwe has played 485 minutes in the second tier of Austrian football this season for Vienna's reserve team, so fans should not expect him to make the step-up to the senior Liverpool team immediately.

He is yet to make his top-flight debut in the Austrian Bundesliga, though he has been selected for the senior team's bench.

The 17-year-old was part of the Austria team that reached the final of the Under-17s World Cup in Qatar in November 2025, and he is seen as a promising talent.

Standing at 6ft 5ins, the defender would fit Liverpool's usual criteria of only signing imposing central defenders that can dominate aerially.

What does the future of Liverpool's defence look like?

There is likely to be significant change in the Reds' backline over the coming seasons, with centre-backs Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk facing exits.

The former's contract expires at the end of the season and he is set to leave for free as things stand, while Van Dijk is 34 and will see his own deal expire at the end of the 2026-27 campaign.

Liverpool have already planned for the future, with Giovanni Leoni having been signed from Parma in the summer, though the 19-year-old is expected to miss the remainder of the 2025-26 season due to a serious knee injury,

Bringing in Ndukwe could be seen as the club proactively preparing for life without Van Dijk and Konate, but there are also question marks elsewhere in defence.

Full-backs Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong have both failed to settle into life at Anfield, while Conor Bradley and Andrew Robertson have not impressed when given opportunities.

It would not be surprising if the Merseysiders looked to bring in additional signings in wide areas to at least provide serious competition for their current group of full-backs.