From the streets of Senegal to Anfield: Inside Liverpool's global raid to rebuild their academy talent pool

Liverpool may have made three signings worth more than £100m each over the past two summers in Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak and Bradley Barcola, but internally there is a realisation that, after a significant amount of young talent was sold last summer, the club need to replenish their academy talent pool.

Since 2020, Liverpool have made more than £230m from selling players who have represented them at youth level — a major part of owner Fenway Sports Group's self-sustaining business model, with the funds reinvested into the club. That conveyor belt now needs restocking, and the club's response has been to cast its net wider than ever before.

Liverpool academy players in training as the club invests in global youth recruitment

Brexit reshapes the recruitment map

Since Brexit, there is a 'premium' on young English players, and it is why Liverpool's global talent department, led by Matt Newberry since the winter of 2024, now has a major role to play. Fifa rules state that international transfers of players are only permitted if the player is over 18, and since Brexit Premier League clubs are no longer permitted to sign players under 18 from European countries.

Newberry's team is responsible for deciding which young talents from overseas should be targeted for a move. Using their wealth of contacts across the world, including dedicated regional scouts, Liverpool are becoming increasingly aggressive in the space — helped by new sporting director Julian Ward, who is well known for his global network.

"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," Liverpool Academy director Alex Inglethorpe 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."

He added: "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."

Ndiaye's 'incredible story' from Senegal to Anfield

Mor Talla Ndiaye's journey began in the Senegalese village of Sandiara, where he played football in the streets. He progressed through the ranks at Bousports Academy in the town of Thiadiaye before joining Amitie Football Club in the city of Thies.

Come January, Liverpool fended off interest from other European clubs and signed the 18-year-old for about £1m plus add-ons. Scouts had spotted his performances at the U17 World Cup in Qatar last winter, and the club opened discussions with his academy and his agency, Sport Cover. Several video calls were arranged before Liverpool's representatives travelled to Senegal, where they visited where Ndiaye trained, met the people who supported his development, presented their vision to him directly and organised a round-table meeting with his family to understand his environment and the context in which he grew up.

Ultimately, Ndiaye chose Liverpool because they offered the clearest pathway and their approach in getting to know him stood out.

"You have access to certain talent based on points accrued from playing homegrown players," Inglethorpe explained. "We had a couple of ESC (elite significant contribution) spots to explore the wider market and that's something which, even prior to Brexit, was a fairly normal thing."

Ndiaye is a left-footed centre-half who played for Liverpool in pre-season and was an unused substitute in three games in the second half of last season under Arne Slot.

"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 U21 boss Rob Page told BBC Sport. "There's exciting times ahead but he's got a lot of work to do. He's nowhere near the finished article but he's on the right path. His attitude is spot on and he's at the club that will definitely help him develop."

At Liverpool, there is genuine optimism that if Ndiaye makes it to the top, it could be one of the great football stories.

Ndukwe, Martinez, Brughmans and the others to watch

Ndiaye is not the only player identified and recruited by Liverpool's global talent team. After the U17 World Cup, Liverpool also made a £2.6m move for another centre-half, Ifeanyi Ndukwe. The 18-year-old Austrian was impressive in pre-season and has gone on loan to Levante in La Liga as he looks to obtain a UK work permit.

The list does not stop there. Samuel Martinez, the 17-year-old Colombian midfielder, will join next summer after having "30 offers from around the world", according to his father. It does not always work, though — Arsenal beat Liverpool to the signing of Andria Bartishvili from Georgia last month, with the 17-year-old joining the Gunners next summer when he turns 18.

But the moves for Martinez and Ndiaye showcase Liverpool's willingness to spread beyond Europe and into areas they may not have explored before. This summer, the club also confirmed moves for Lucca Brughmans, the 18-year-old Belgian goalkeeper, and Djylian N'Guessan, the 18-year-old French forward, with both set to join the club permanently in 2027.

Selling the pathway

Given the inevitability of other top clubs circling emerging talent, the idea of selling the pathway that Liverpool offers is imperative. Since arriving, Ndiaye has settled in with a host family — normal practice for players not from the area — that are used to working with the club.

"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," said Inglethorpe. "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."

In the modern game, most talents are known and there are not many hidden gems anymore. But Liverpool believe that by digging deeper and wider, they can get ahead of the curve — using their global network and their reputation as a club that will help players develop.