Liverpool steps up global youth recruitment as academy sales prompt wider scouting push
Liverpool have intensified their global recruitment of teenage players, with the club’s global talent department now playing a major role under Matt Newberry since the winter of 2024 as Liverpool looks to replenish young talent sold since 2020.
The ownership model at Fenway Sports Group has seen Liverpool generate more than £230m from selling players who represented the club at youth level since 2020, with those funds reinvested into the club; the club has also made high-value signings in recent summers — Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak and Bradley Barcola have each been reported as potentially costing more than £100m. Changes to transfer eligibility and Brexit have altered the market: Fifa rules permit international transfers only for players over 18, and Premier League clubs can no longer sign under-18 players from European countries, producing a premium on young English players and shifting recruitment priorities.
Matt Newberry’s global talent team now identifies which overseas youngsters to target, supported by regional scouts and the sporting director Julian Ward’s international network, and prioritises a pathway to the first team. "Any player we sign, the first intention is that we want them to play in the first team and there's a belief that there's a chance for everyone that signs here," Alex Inglethorpe, Liverpool Academy director told BBC Sport. "That really is no different since the impact of Brexit on the English market, which is quite significant. There's now a premium on young English players. Time will tell if that premium is worthwhile but it's definitely a change. "So it's fairly natural for a club like Liverpool to look within Merseyside in the first instance then broaden that out - national recruitment happens at 14 and after that you look globally, which is what we've done."
One outcome of the new approach is the signing of Mor Talla Ndiaye, who progressed from Sandiara to Bousports Academy in Thiadiaye and then Amitie Football Club in Thies before Liverpool agreed a January move worth about £1m plus add-ons. Ndiaye, a left-footed centre-half, featured in pre-season under Andoni Iraola and was an unused substitute in three games under Arne Slot in the second half of last season; Rob Page, Liverpool's U21 boss, said: "He's an incredible story, isn't he? From where he's come from to where he is - and he's such a humble kid. He's an unbelievable lad to work with."
Liverpool’s recruitment process for Ndiaye began after scouts watched him at the U17 World Cup in Qatar last winter; the club opened discussions with his academy and his agency, Sport Cover, arranged several video calls, then visited where he trained and met people who supported his development before presenting their pathway. A round-table meeting with his family formed part of that process and, according to the club material, Ndiaye chose Liverpool because they offered the clearest pathway and their approach stood out.
The academy support structure includes host-family arrangements and cultural integration assistance. "Players come from varying parts of the world and, when someone comes in and doesn't speak much English at the start, you have to help with that and help understand culturally the differences in food, the weather and even the pitches you play on," Inglethorpe said. "There's a lot of understanding in terms of the level of support that's needed and the most important thing you can give a young player is the time. "I'm delighted that Mor made such a strong impression and he's done as well as he has, but we hope that he's going to get better and better as he continues to adapt."
Liverpool have pursued other overseas teenagers since the U17 World Cup: the club paid £2.6m for Ifeanyi Ndukwe, the 18-year-old Austrian centre-half, who impressed in pre-season and has gone on loan to Levante in La Liga as he looks to obtain a UK work permit. Samuel Martinez, a 17-year-old Colombian midfielder, has agreed to join next summer after, his father said, he had "30 offers from around the world, external". The club also lost out to Arsenal in the race for 17-year-old Andria Bartishvili of Georgia, who will join the Gunners next summer when he turns 18.
This summer Liverpool confirmed the signings of Lucca Brughmans, an 18-year-old Belgian goalkeeper, and Djylian N'Guessan, an 18-year-old French forward, with both set to join the club permanently in 2027. The club says it now looks beyond traditional markets in pursuit of talent, using its global scouting network and the club's reputation for player development.
Several future moves are already scheduled: Samuel Martinez will join Liverpool next summer; Ifeanyi Ndukwe remains on loan at Levante while seeking a UK work permit; and Lucca Brughmans and Djylian N'Guessan are due to arrive permanently in 2027, while Andria Bartishvili will join Arsenal next summer when he turns 18.
