Liverpool's Defensive Shift: Chambers, Ndukwe, and Iraola's Strategy
Liverpool’s defensive jigsaw is shifting again, and this time the knock-on effect could stretch from Glasgow to La Liga.
Iraola leans into youth – and faces an early decision
Liverpool’s squad is heavy with bodies but light on certainty. After last season’s brutal injury crisis, Arne Slot was forced into constant reshuffles yet rarely truly trusted the club’s academy talent, aside from Rio Ngumoha. The pathway felt blocked. The atmosphere, stale.
Andoni Iraola has wasted no time changing that.
The Spaniard has already opened the door wider for the club’s youngsters. Lewis Koumas, Trey Nyoni and Isaac Mabaya are all being lined up for regular involvement this season, a clear shift from the caution of the previous regime.
At the back, Liverpool made centre-half a key area to address in the summer. Ronald Araujo and Jeremy Jacquet arrived to bolster a defence that had been stretched to breaking point. Even with those signings, the lack of depth last term meant fringe defenders such as Mabaya and Luke Chambers were initially kept around as cover.
Now that stance is starting to move.
Celtic circle for Luke Chambers
According to journalist Lewis Bower, Celtic are keen on Luke Chambers. He summed it up bluntly on X: “I wonder, eh. Celtic really like Luke Chambers.”
Chambers is currently Liverpool’s fifth-choice centre-back, so on the surface it might look like a minor subplot. It isn’t. The fact Liverpool are open to finding him a new home – potentially at a club with recent Champions League pedigree – signals a possible reshaping of Iraola’s depth chart.
If Chambers heads to Celtic in January, it doesn’t just clear space in the dressing room. It opens a lane for a very specific plan the club already put in motion over the summer.
Ndukwe’s Levante gamble
Pre-season threw up one of the more intriguing stories of Liverpool’s summer: Ifeanyi Ndukwe.
The Austrian defender impressed heavily with his composure and timing in the tackle, looking far more seasoned than his limited senior experience suggested. With Ibrahima Konate gone and a sizeable hole in the back line, some supporters were ready to see Ndukwe thrown straight into the mix for the first half of the 2026–27 campaign.
Paperwork got in the way.
Without an immediate work permit, Liverpool had to send him out on loan. Levante became the chosen destination, the idea being simple: a run of games in La Liga would give Ndukwe the points he needs to qualify for a permit and allow Liverpool to recall him later in the season.
So far, that plan has stalled. Levante have yet to give him minutes, and every unused weekend pushes the work-permit target further away.
A gap at centre-back – and a looming choice
If Ndukwe still lacks enough points by January and Chambers does complete a move to Celtic, Liverpool could suddenly find themselves light again at centre-back. The very scenario they tried to avoid last season would be back on the table.
The club are expected to be active in the winter window, but there’s a clear internal preference: if Ndukwe can secure his permit in time, he becomes the natural replacement for Chambers. No extra transfer wrangling. No scramble for a short-term fix. Just a straight swap in the hierarchy.
That possibility is why Chambers’ potential exit matters so much. It’s a sign Liverpool are preparing a space in the squad, and they’d prefer to fill it with a player they already believe in.
Supporters who watched Ndukwe in pre-season have already started to dream a little bigger, talking about him as a possible long-term pillar of the defence, even daring to mention Virgil van Dijk’s name as a stylistic reference point. The comparison is premature, but it underlines the level of excitement around the Austrian.
For now, though, everything hangs on two decisions: Celtic’s move for Chambers, and Levante’s willingness to finally put Ndukwe on the pitch.
If both fall Liverpool’s way, Iraola could walk into the second half of the season with a refreshed defensive unit and a new centre-back ready to grow into a major role. If not, the club may be forced back into the market – and back into a problem they thought they’d already solved.
