Virgil van Dijk praises Liverpool's Amara Ndukwe as a big talent
Virgil van Dijk has seen enough. Eighteen years old, barely through the door at Anfield, and Amara Ndukwe has already made a lasting impression on Liverpool’s captain – even as the club prepares to send him out on loan.
Van Dijk hails “big talent” Ndukwe
Ndukwe, signed earlier this year after Liverpool struck a deal with Austria Wien, has been a constant presence in Andoni Iraola’s pre-season line-ups. The teenager started against Sunderland, Wrexham, Leeds United and Monaco, and his performances have cut through the usual noise of summer friendlies.
“Obviously I saw the games in pre-season in America,” Van Dijk said of the young centre-back. “He’s a big talent, big guy and he wants to learn and I had a brief conversation with him, especially in the last couple of days. For him it is just progressing.
“I know he has to go on loan I think so let’s see where he ends up. Yeah [it’s a shame he has to move on loan].”
The frustration is not about footballing ability. It is paperwork.
GBE rules force loan exit
Ndukwe’s immediate future is being dictated by the Governing Body Endorsement (GBE) system, the FA’s points-based route to a work visa. Players must reach 15 points across a range of performance criteria. Ndukwe, still at the start of his senior career, has not yet hit that threshold.
Van Dijk did not hide his disappointment at the situation, but he understands the reality.
“I don’t know exactly what the rules are, but the matter of fact is that he has to go on loan and wherever he goes, he needs to learn, get better and be ready when he comes back to hopefully stay there.”
The interest is already strong. According to The Athletic, clubs from the Bundesliga, Portugal and Denmark have registered their admiration, with Ndukwe now weighing up offers from across Europe. A move to a higher-ranked league would accelerate his GBE points and, if all goes to plan, clear the way for a return to Anfield in 2027.
For Liverpool, it is a delicate balance: a defender good enough to feature heavily in pre-season, yet not eligible to play competitive football in England. For Ndukwe, it is a chance to prove he belongs at the level Van Dijk believes he can reach.
Araujo settles, Jacquet waits
Ndukwe is not the only new face Van Dijk has been monitoring at the AXA Training Centre.
The captain has already taken Barcelona loanee Ronald Araujo under his wing, welcoming the Uruguayan into a reshaped defensive unit. Another centre-back, Jeremy Jacquet, has had a very different start, spending his early days at the club on the sidelines.
“I’ve not seen any of [Jacquet]. I’ve spoken to him. I’ve seen him walking around and we have conversations,” Van Dijk said. “I’m not a doctor, so I don’t know exactly the situation, but I have a feeling this week he could be back on the pitch, and hopefully as soon as possible.”
Liverpool’s back line is being rebuilt in real time. Araujo bedding in, Jacquet working to get fit, Ndukwe heading out to grow up on loan. Van Dijk stands at the centre of it all, both anchor and guide.
Munoz brings raw speed to attack
At the other end of the pitch, Victor Munoz has wasted no time making an impression of his own.
Signed from Osasuna in a £34.5m deal, the attacker only made his first appearance recently, but his impact in training has already caught the eye of Liverpool’s senior leadership group.
“He started [training] also on Wednesday,” Van Dijk confirmed. “He is very fast and it has been good to see the kind of quality he can bring to the club, and I think he had a great reception. It is just for him to carry that on to the next.”
That pace gives Iraola something different as pre-season winds down: a direct, explosive option to stretch defences and shift the rhythm of Liverpool’s attack.
Between Ndukwe’s enforced detour, Araujo’s arrival, Jacquet’s recovery and Munoz’s blistering introduction, Liverpool’s summer has been about more than fitness and friendlies. It has been about assembling the next version of this team – and Van Dijk is already deciding who looks ready to be part of it when the real games start.
