Liverpool's ahead-of-the-curve approach to youth recruitment

[Getty Images] Liverpool's global talent department - led by Matt Newberry - is responsible for deciding which young talents from overseas should be targeted for a transfer move. Using their wealth of contacts across the world, including dedicated regional scouts, Liverpool are becoming increasingly aggressive in the space - and it helps that new sporting director Julian Ward is well known for his global network. After the Under-17s World Cup, Liverpool made a £1m move for Senegalese Mor Talla Ndiaye and a £2.6m move for fellow centre-back half Ifeanyi Ndukwe, who was representing Austria. Ndukwe, who was impressive in pre-season, has gone on loan to Levante in La Liga as he looks to obtain a UK work permit. The list does not stop there, though. Samuel Martinez, a 17-year-old Colombian midfielder, will join next summer after having "30 offers from around the world" , according to his father. 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, Liverpool also confirmed moves for Belgian goalkeeper Lucca Brughmans and French forward Djylian N'Guessan, both 18 and set to move to Anfield permanently in 2027. In the modern game, most talents are known and not many hidden gems exist - 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 which will help players develop. Read the full article here