Rio Ngumoah

[SB]

The little knock down header for Nunez was so well done. Fully aware of who is around him and picked him out perfectly.

And the confidence he had to take the ball off of Jones and drive forward for his goal.

Full of confidence

Do we think he will play much this season?

We have had quite a few young 'uns who have bene blighted later in their career with injuries (the likes of Owen and Fowler. Gerrard had quite a few problems early on too, but got over them). But I guess you get some who are fine.

Problem is he kinda looks ready, and if he does come into the first team and performs then it becomes harder to leave him out. Totally different player to Gakpo though, so I think he could probably be seen on the bench a lot. Probably depends on Isak, and where Ekitike fit in if we do sign him.

It makes a bit of a mockery of a £400m + spend when we are most excited about a child we signed for a packet of peanuts. I wonder if that in some way takes some pressure off of Wirtz and Ekitike?

2 packs of peanuts, Chelsea dug their heals in In all seriousness though he looks more than ready but yeah I hear what you’re saying regarding protecting him from ruining him by being over played too early.

If we sell Nunez , Chiesa & Elliot as expected that would leave us with Mo, Gakpo, Ekitike & potentially Isak if he comes ( then the youngsters Doak, Danns & Rio ) with Wirtz , Frimpong, Dom & Jones capable of filling in . I suspect Danns & Doak could go out on loan so that’d give us these options for the front three positions without moving midfielders.

Gakpo…………………. Isak…………………… Mo
Rio ……………………. Ekitike……………….. Frimpong
Ekitike ………………Danns…………………..Doak

[Charly]

Do we think he will play much this season?

We have had quite a few young 'uns who have bene blighted later in their career with injuries (the likes of Owen and Fowler. Gerrard had quite a few problems early on too, but got over them). But I guess you get some who are fine.

Problem is he kinda looks ready, and if he does come into the first team and performs then it becomes harder to leave him out. Totally different player to Gakpo though, so I think he could probably be seen on the bench a lot. Probably depends on Isak, and where Ekitike fit in if we do sign him.

It makes a bit of a mockery of a £400m + spend when we are most excited about a child we signed for a packet of peanuts. I wonder if that in some way takes some pressure off of Wirtz and Ekitike?

[peterbread]

The little knock down header for Nunez was so well done. Fully aware of who is around him and picked him out perfectly.

And the confidence he had to take the ball off of Jones and drive forward for his goal.

[SB]

Another great outing for the kid. Took his goal well & a lovely assist for Darwin to score & all in the first 5 mins at Anfield. WOW

[SB]

It's only every so often you get these gems coming up from the youth sides, it's so early but this kid really does look like he could be something special. They way he moves, the speed he moves at and the confidence he has to take on players is way beyond his years.

Absolutely agree with you Dan. He’s filled out a lot in the year since we bought him which has helped make him stronger & not easily pushed off the ball as you’d expect a 16 year old to be.

[danperkins]

It's only every so often you get these gems coming up from the youth sides, it's so early but this kid really does look like he could be something special. They way he moves, the speed he moves at and the confidence he has to take on players is way beyond his years.

[RedReet]

Rio Ngumoha is still only 16. But this is why he is impossible to ignore at Liverpool
YOKOHAMA, JAPAN - JULY 30: Rio Ngumoha of Liverpool in action during the MEIJI YASUDA J.LEAGUE World Challenge 2025 presented by The Nippon Foundation match between Yokohama F•Marinos and Liverpool at Nissan Stadium on July 30, 2025 in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan. (Photo by Kenta Harada/Getty Images)

Andy Jones
Andy Jones
Aug. 1, 2025 5:11 am GMT+1
As several Liverpool senior players found their touch and technique deserting them on the cut-up surface of the Nissan Stadium, Rio Ngumoha showed them how it’s done.

Not for the first time during this pre-season, the 16-year-old was the player everybody was talking about following another brilliant cameo that included the goal that sealed Liverpool’s 3-1 victory over Yokohama F Marinos.

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In just 26 minutes, the youngster lit up the game in Tokyo, bamboozling the hosts’ tiring defence, just as he had in previous games against Preston North End, Stoke City and Milan.

It is a testament to how he is viewed and the impact he has made this summer that Liverpool do not see left wing as an area of their squad that needs strengthening, even after the sale of Luis Diaz to Bayern Munich.

Cody Gakpo is the established left-winger, while Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike could also play there. But Ngumoha’s development has seen him force his way into Slot’s thinking for a permanent place in his first-team squad and potentially save the club some money in the transfer market. There is no desire to block Ngumoha’s pathway to senior football.

So, how has he done it?



When Ngumoha chose to leave Chelsea for Liverpool last year, the London club were furious that they were losing one of England’s brightest young talents. Since his arrival, he has shown why there was such disappointment in west London, impressing Liverpool’s senior and academy coaching staff in training sessions and matches for various age groups.

His surprise start against Accrington Stanley in the third round of the FA Cup in January exposed him to Liverpool supporters at first-team level and rewarded him for the rapid progress he was making.

His 72-minute showing at Anfield that day was full of quick feet and excitement. The League Two side quickly doubled up on him and the only missing piece to his performance was end product — quite normal for a 16-year-old making their debut.

Still, as he returned to the under-21 setup for the rest of the campaign, improving his end product became a point of emphasis. If any indication was needed on how that is going, he has two goals and one assist in his four appearances so far in pre-season.

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His goal at Yokohama illustrated how dangerous he can be with the ball at his feet and space to run into.

With Liverpool on the counter-attack, Ngumoha advanced from near the halfway line and showed his confidence to keep hold of the ball rather than use any of his team-mates, skip past the challenge of Kosei Suwama, and fire a shot beyond Ryoya Kimura.



The smile on Mohamed Salah’s face in the moments after the goal further emphasised the impact he has made. Salah and other senior squad members, including Andy Robertson, have helped Ngumoha settle in at first-team level, offering advice when possible.

There is a fearlessness to everything he does, but he couples that with quality. This isn’t a youngster dribbling down blind alleys to try to impress; this is a winger tormenting defenders with trickery, pace and purpose.

From the moment he was named in the starting XI against Preston, Ngumoha has had one aim: to get on the ball and drive at his opponent. He was a constant threat at Deepdale and the source of several key chances, including Conor Bradley’s opening goal.

He is not quite a chalk-on-boots winger, but Ngumoha stays high and wide to give him space to be found by team-mates. That allows him to build up speed and attack the defender, putting them on the back foot.

As the example below shows, when he is around the opposition penalty box, he uses his close control, agility and acceleration to burst away from opponents. On this occasion, he shaped to come inside before darting to the byline. His cross was intercepted with Darwin Nunez ready to pounce.



A similar move nearly led to a goal against Milan, when he used that speed to wrong-foot Fikayo Tomori and unleash an effort on goal that was parried away by Mike Maignan.



The connection he has built with Trey Nyoni has been on display, too, and the pair complement each other on the pitch.

When playing together, the pair frequently combine with one-twos around the opposition area, with Ngumoha capable of making dangerous runs into the box, and Nyoni has the quality to pick out the return pass.

He nearly got on the scoresheet earlier against Yokohama by linking with Nyoni. Again, Ngumoha used his agility to work a shooting opportunity, breaking into a similar position to where he scored his goal against Stoke, but his effort was saved.



That moment, however, was also a reminder that Ngumoha is a young man with plenty to learn, especially in regards to his decision-making. While he did manage to shoot, he could have laid the ball off to Alexis Mac Allister or Curtis Jones to create a better goalscoring opportunity.

That was not lost on Slot when he addressed the media after the game. “There was also a moment in the game where he should have squared it to Macca (Mac Allister) or Curtis (Jones),” he said. “So, (there were) also learning parts for him. But if you are 16 and you can impact the game like he did, that’s definitely worth a compliment.

“Rio again showed the quality he has and that’s nice for us because we have a lot of very good players. But to get some very good players through the academy is always helpful and always gives energy to a team as well.”

What You Should Read Next
Arne Slot interview: Selling Diaz, Ngumoha’s rise, and why Liverpool ‘won’t hesitate’ in transfer market
Arne Slot interview: Selling Diaz, Ngumoha’s rise, and why Liverpool ‘won’t hesitate’ in transfer market
Before the squad flew home from Asia, the head coach spoke about Liverpool's tour, transfer dealings, and how there could be more to come
Ngumoha’s most encouraging performance of the four so far was against Milan when he came up against Tomori, who is an experienced top-level defender that has strength and speed.

The 27-year-old got the better of the early exchanges, but as the half wore on, Ngumoha’s relentlessness allowed him to start getting the better of the defender, including for his assist for Dominik Szoboszlai.

His quick feet forced Tomori to backpedal and created space for him to cross the ball. While the low delivery was blocked, Ngumoha didn’t rush his next move, playing the sensible pass to Szoboszlai, who produced an excellent finish.



Given this was a summer without a major international tournament, Slot has been able to work with the bulk of his first-team squad from the moment pre-season began. That meant fewer youngsters made up the tour squad than usual, so it was a statement to the impression Ngumoha and fellow youngster Nyoni had made that they were taken on the trip.

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During the opening weeks and on tour, the pair have continued to impress the first-team coaching staff with their attitude and talent, and they have grasped their opportunity in matches. There is a sense that they could become permanent fixtures in the squad, which would allow other youngsters such as Tyler Morton and Ben Doak to move on without any concerns over the squad’s depth in those areas.

Ngumoha’s potentially larger role this season is more than anyone could reasonably have expected even a month ago. He will still need to be managed carefully and expectations should remain realistic.

But the problem is that Ngumoha is showing why he is one of the hottest prospects in European football. He may be impossible to ignore.

(Top photo: Kenta Harada/Getty Images)

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Luis Diaz: How Bayern Munich signed him, what he offers and what now for Liverpool?
Connections: Sports Edition
1 Aug 2025
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Andrew Jones is a Staff Writer for The Athletic covering Burnley FC and Liverpool FC. Having graduated from the University of Central Lancashire with a First Class Honours Degree in Sports Journalism, Andrew has had written work published for the Liverpool Echo, Chelsea FC and Preston North End. Follow Andy on Twitter @adjones_journo

[RedReet]

I made reference to Sterling in the other thread and it got me thinking.

There used to be a debate as to who was better, Sterling or Ibe. It's almost like someone couldn't decide so just created a hybrid of the two, giving Ngumoha the pace and trickery of Sterling, along with the strength and power of Ibe. He's still a bit shorter that Ibe currently, but I'm sure he's till got a bit of growing left in him.

[Exiled_red]

Mo's greedy, Suarez was greedy, it's no bad thing if you have the talent to back it up. Having the confidence at 16 to do what he's doing, not look for the easy options is no bad thing either.

He actually does remind me of Salah at times. Not in playing style, but the way he ricochets the ball off other players, often retaining possession. It can look clumsy and pre Salah I definitely thought it was luck/fluke, but it definitely is a skill.

In terms of playing style, reminds me a bit of Adama Traore, except he seems to have sacrificed a slight bit of pace for some end product. He is just so direct, it must be a nightmare to defend against.

For me Suarez was the first one I really noticed doing that regularly and it is definately a skill.

[Buzzo]

Agree with everything other than calling the leading assist provider in the League greedy. I’d say Mo is calculated, driven by outcome rather than highlights. All top level goalscorers require that single minded approach - but you don’t post the level of assists that Mo does if you are greedy.

With Ngumoah it is definitely going to be interesting to see if he makes many squads this season.

[RedReet]

Sadly my point is valid.

Mo's greedy, Suarez was greedy, it's no bad thing if you have the talent to back it up. Having the confidence at 16 to do what he's doing, not look for the easy options is no bad thing either.

He actually does remind me of Salah at times. Not in playing style, but the way he ricochets the ball off other players, often retaining possession. It can look clumsy and pre Salah I definitely thought it was luck/fluke, but it definitely is a skill.

In terms of playing style, reminds me a bit of Adama Traore, except he seems to have sacrificed a slight bit of pace for some end product. He is just so direct, it must be a nightmare to defend against.

[vlahka]

Not like you to complain about a youth player...

Sadly my point is valid.

[The_weatherman]

Looks good enough to be a squad player this season and a good option from the bench. Seems to have improved rapidly already, decision making in particular is far better. Good players learn from good players. He doesn't look out of place in those training videos that's for sure.

It's a risk but definitely the right call to give him minutes now, he could end up saving us tens of millions.

[RedReet]

He needs to be slightly less greedy. So many times he could have passed to players that were free but he kept wanting to go into the box.

Not like you to complain about a youth player...

[SB]

I’m not sure we did, we just got him to agree a contract with us but perhaps there was some tribunal that stated an amount due to Chelsea training him

Yeah the tribunal payment is what I meant.

Nope, he wasn't under contract and still isn't.

Nothing stopping him going to a rival club this month and signing a deal with them.

That’s why I’m so bloody keen to see him sign a contract with us ASAP. He seems to realise he’s where he needs to be & being mentored by some of the world’s best players. Plus he’s good mates with Trey