Rio Ngumoha has spoken out about reported interest from Bayern Munich and Arsenal, while Liverpool defender Ifeanyi Ndukwe has had his work permit ban lifted during his loan spell at Levante.
The 18-year-old Ngumoha, a regular in Andoni Iraola's first team following his breakout campaign under Arne Slot, addressed the speculation after Saturday's 2-1 victory away to Brentford. The Athletic reported that the England star has attracted interest from Bayern Munich and Arsenal, but Liverpool have no intention of selling the forward.
Ngumoha Focuses on Football
Asked about his future after the Brentford win, Ngumoha said: "To be fair, that is all with my agent now. 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."
The Reds' win at Brentford lifted them to fifth in the Premier League, with goals from Victor Munoz and a returning Alexander Isak cancelling out Keane Lewis-Potter's opener. Liverpool now host Villarreal in the Champions League on Tuesday night, having won their opening two group fixtures against Atletico Madrid and LASK.
Ndukwe's Work Permit Cleared
Ifeanyi Ndukwe, who joined Liverpool this summer and featured heavily in pre-season, was previously ineligible for a UK work permit. The 18-year-old Austrian defender has now become eligible due to his current loan at Levante, according to the Liverpool Echo.
Liverpool have the option to recall Ndukwe in January, although he is expected to remain with the La Liga side for the rest of the season. He endured a slow start in Spain but has now started back-to-back games, scoring a last-gasp equaliser on his first start against Sevilla in a 3-3 draw and playing 90 minutes in a 1-1 draw with Deportivo.
Iraola has plenty of central defensive options, with Virgil van Dijk, Jeremy Jacquet, Ronald Araujo and Joe Gomez all fit, while Giovanni Leoni is nearing the end of his recovery from an ACL injury suffered last season.
