Ngumoha plays down Bayern and Arsenal links as Ndukwe's work permit ban is lifted

Rio Ngumoha has moved to calm speculation over his Liverpool future after The Athletic reported that Bayern Munich and Arsenal had registered interest in the 18-year-old forward, while fellow youngster Ifeanyi Ndukwe has cleared a significant administrative hurdle by becoming eligible for a UK work permit.

Ngumoha, who broke into Andoni Iraola’s first team following a standout campaign under former head coach Arne Slot, was asked about the summer’s transfer rumours after Liverpool’s 2-1 win at Brentford on Saturday. “To be fair, that is all with my agent now,” he said. “I think it is all going well. I am not too sure. I just let my football do the talking at the end of the day. I enjoy playing, and all of that stuff is in the back of my mind really. I just play for the club, and hopefully I can carry on doing well.”

Liverpool have no intention of selling the England youth international, who has established himself as a regular presence in Iraola’s squad this season.

Meanwhile, 18-year-old defender Ndukwe — who joined Liverpool in the summer and featured in pre-season — has been unable to play competitively for the club due to work permit ineligibility. His ongoing loan at Spanish side Levante has now resolved that issue, with the Austrian-born centre-back having started back-to-back games for the La Liga club. He marked his first start with a last-gasp equaliser in a 3-3 draw against Sevilla before completing another full 90 minutes in Levante’s following fixture.

Liverpool retain the option to recall Ndukwe in January, though he is expected to remain in Spain for the remainder of the season. Iraola has no shortage of central defensive cover, with Virgil van Dijk, Jeremy Jacquet, Ronald Araujo, and Joe Gomez all available. Giovanni Leoni is also approaching the end of his recovery from the ACL injury he sustained last season.

The positive news off the pitch follows Liverpool’s rise to fifth in the Premier League table after their comeback win at Brentford, where goals from Victor Munoz and Alexander Isak overturned Keane Lewis-Potter’s opener for the hosts.