Liverpool’s headline-making signing of Florian Wirtz has generated huge excitement, but behind the scenes, the club is also working to quietly nurture one of England’s most promising young talents.
Following Arne Slot’s title-winning debut season, Liverpool secured Wirtz in a £116 million deal (including add-ons), beating Bayern Munich to the highly rated German attacker. While Wirtz adds firepower to an already stacked attack, attention is beginning to shift to 16-year-old Rio Ngumoha — a rising star within the Reds’ academy.
Though Liverpool have tried to keep things low-key, Ngumoha’s performances in training have been impossible to ignore.
**Teen Talent Forces Liverpool to React Behind the Scenes**
Ngumoha has been making waves during training with the senior squad. According to *The Anfield Watch*, the teenager has been “terrorising” first-team players — impressing so much that manager Arne Slot and his staff were reportedly “mesmerised.”
His impact was so significant that Liverpool’s media team removed footage of him from their ‘Inside Training’ video series to avoid adding to the growing hype.
The club is trying to manage expectations for the London-born winger, who arrived from Chelsea’s academy in September 2024 and already has 11 England U17 caps. But that’s becoming difficult, especially after his pre-season appearance in a 3-1 win over Preston North End.
Slot has already handed Ngumoha his senior debut — a 4-0 win over Accrington Stanley in last season’s FA Cup — and praised his natural flair and technical ability:
> “Every time he trains with us, we see his quality. He excels in one-v-one situations, has quick feet, and changes direction effortlessly.”
Liverpool are now reportedly working to secure Ngumoha’s first professional contract when he turns 17 next month. With a spot in the pre-season squad and strong showings already, there’s growing belief that the young winger could soon make the leap into regular first-team action.
