Liverpool transfer news: When will Ifeanyi Ndukwe 'leave' on loan amid Portugal proposal?

Liverpool youngster Ifeanyi Ndukwe will reportedly leave the club on loan this summer despite making a striking impression during pre-season.

Ndukwe has been handed considerably more minutes than even he might have anticipated due to Liverpool's defensive shortage, but the 18-year-old has grasped his opportunity with both hands, producing a string of mature and composed performances.

Joe Gomez suffered an injury in Liverpool's opening pre-season fixture, while Jeremy Jacquet has been sidelined with a niggling knee problem.

Giovanni Leoni is also in the final stages of his rehabilitation from a serious knee injury, forcing Andoni Iraola to deploy Ndukwe alongside captain Virgil van Dijk in Sunday's defeat to Monaco at Anfield.

Following Ibrahima Konate's departure, there is already uncertainty over who will partner Van Dijk in Liverpool's opening Premier League fixture, but Ndukwe will not be among the candidates.

Ifeanyi Ndukwe heading for Liverpool loan exit

According to Fabrizio Romano, Ndukwe is expected to leave Liverpool on loan from next week as part of the club's existing development plan for the teenager.

The Austria youth international has already received proposals from clubs in Portugal, with Liverpool and the player now set to determine which destination would provide the most suitable platform for his continued development.

The Reds have meanwhile patched up their depleted defence with the arrival of Ronald Araujo from Barcelona on loan, with an option to make the move permanent next summer.

Ifeanyi Ndukwe: Why the Austrian need to go out on loan?

Ndukwe's imminent departure is not simply a reflection of Liverpool's assessment of his readiness for senior football, but also a consequence of the increasingly complicated work permit landscape facing English clubs since Brexit.

The youngster does not currently have enough points to obtain a Governing Body Endorsement (GBE), which is required for overseas players seeking a work visa in England.

There is, however, another route into the Premier League squad through an Elite Significant Contribution (ESC) slot, which allows clubs to register foreign players who do not meet the standard GBE criteria.

Premier League and Championship clubs can have up to four ESC players, but the number available to each club is determined by the percentage of minutes given to England-qualified players during the previous campaign.

The crucial threshold is 35% of total minutes, with clubs falling below that figure seeing their allocation of ESC places reduced.

Liverpool's percentage from last season means they are entitled to just one ESC slot this campaign, and that place has already been taken by Senegalese teenager Mor Talla Ndiaye.

That leaves Ndukwe in an unfortunate situation where his impressive pre-season has not been enough to overcome the administrative barriers standing between him and a place in Iraola's first-team squad.