**Liverpool have reportedly already held talks with Rio Ngumoha and his agent, who is also his brother, over a new contract to tie the 17-year-old down for the long-term.**
Ngumoha’s rise to prominence has been meteoric, with the teenager’s talent incredibly obvious. Many fans and journalists expect him to reach new heights this season under Andoni Iraola, given the Spaniard’s penchant for trusting and developing young players much like Jurgen Klopp.
While Arne Slot gave the English talent plenty of opportunities last season, his style of football in his second season in the Anfield hot seat didn’t serve to platform Liverpool attackers very well. We see both Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah regress massively, with the latter now at Trabzonspor after the club agreed to terminate his contract despite having a year left on his £485,000-a-week mega deal.
Ngumoha made 25 appearances for the Reds last season, scoring twice, but as he matures physically and mentally, he will explode into life, and Liverpool are desperate to ensure that happens at Anfield amid unsurprising interest from Europe’s heavyweights.
Liverpool acting to ensure Rio Ngumoha’s future is secure
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According to a report from [TEAMtalk](https://www.teamtalk.com/liverpool/fsg-fully-expect-seal-agreement-generational-star-rio-ngumoha-exclusive), Liverpool have already engaged James Ngumoha, Rio’s brother, in positive talks to agree a new contract to keep the 17-year-old at Anfield for the long term.
Graeme Baily reports: _“Liverpool have already held talks with Rio Ngumoha over a new long-term contract and expect an agreement to be in place in the coming months, TEAMtalk can reveal._
_“Ngumoha is set to play a key role under new head coach Andoni Iraola and will turn 18 at the end of August, when he becomes eligible to sign a new long-term contract. His current deal expires at the end of the upcoming campaign._
_“Liverpool are now ready to recognise his rapid rise with a significantly improved deal after previously giving the teenager the maximum three-year contract allowed when he joined the club._
_“TEAMtalk understands the new agreement would come with a huge pay rise, while also including performance-related increases linked to international appearances as Liverpool prepare for Ngumoha to establish himself at senior level.”_
Ngumoha praises his brother and highlights the importance of his tight-knit family
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The maturity that Ngumoha has conducted himself with since making the jump from the academy to first-team professional football is what has impressed me the most. We have seen many exciting young players emerge over the years and will see many more, but it’s rare to see and hear one so wise and humble.
It’s therefore unsurprising to me to learn that it comes from his stable and tight-knit family unit supporting him behind the scenes amid the fame and promise of riches.
Speaking on Liverpool’s exclusive [All Red Video](https://video.liverpoolfc.com/video/7bb5a96c-6c7c-4949-a290-a99b68e4b351) subscription service, Ngumoha lauded his brother’s sacrifices to help him reach the top level of football and his mother’s role in keeping him grounded.
The 17-year-old said: _“I’m always smiling when I talk about my family. My mom, I love her so much. She’s always taking me to training, cooking, and always helping my friends and my brother.”_
He continued: _“He’s my agent, my brother and my best friend. He’s always believed in me since I was young. When he was about my age, he dropped out of school to help me. I remember he actually quit a job as well – he was working at a clothing store._
_“He was just training me then every day in the summer since I was about six. The work never stops, and he always believed in me. He installed a mentality of never give up and just believe that you’ll be one of the best.”_