Liverpool have agreed a deal to sign 15-year-old English attacker Rio Ngumoha from Chelsea, as reported by transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.
Having departed the Chelsea academy, Ngumoha attracted the attention of several clubs. He ultimately opted for Liverpool, seeing the recent successes of young players breaking into the senior squad.
Whilst Liverpool will celebrate this signing, it is yet another example of a Chelsea academy talent slipping through their fingers. Jamal Musiala also left the academy at a similar age and starred for Germany at Euro 2024.
Chelsea are reportedly furious about losing Ngumoha, having invested heavily in their youth system. Whilst their academy has historically produced talent, few have stayed at Chelsea for the club to reap the rewards of the setup.
Ngumoha is unlikely to feature in Liverpool’s senior plans for a few years but already demonstrates great potential at a young age. The Reds historically have promoted from within, and Ngumoha will look to join a growing list of successful academy graduates.
Players such as Trent Alexander-Arnold, Stefan Bajcetic and Jarrell Quansah all recently broke into the first team under Jurgen Klopp. New head coach Arne Slot will look to continue this legacy with Ngumoha in the future.
Furthermore, Ngumoha will be inspired by others who have made the move from London to Anfield at a young age. Harvey Elliott, Dominic Solanke and Raheem Sterling (QPR) all made this move at a similar age and have gone on to succeed in the Premier League.
Ngumoha is one of England’s most promising young talents and will be eager to link up with Liverpool’s academy. He will be unable to train until the paperwork is processed, but confirmation of the deal is imminent.
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