Image for “From what I heard…” – Journalist has dropped big claim that Liverpool fans will love
Image for “From what I heard…” – Journalist has dropped big claim that Liverpool fans will love
Amid rumours of Rio Ngumoha potentially leaving Liverpool in the near future, reliable journalist Lewis Steele has now provided a positive update.
The 18-year-old winger is understandably a wanted man, with journalist Ben Jacobs talking up Arsenal and Bayern Munich’s interest in him recently:
“It is true to my understanding that Arsenal retain an interest in Rio Ngumoha. Leipzig have looked in the past, and Bayern Munich liked Ngumoha over the summer as well, but Liverpool made it clear in the last window, Ngumoha was not for sale.
“The player was told that his pathway will give him opportunities on the left and on the right, and as a consequence, more minutes and appearances as well. And Liverpool’s intent is to get Ngumoha to sign a new contract, we wait and see what the players’ perspective is, but Arsenal are kind of monitoring the situation.”
But speaking to Anfield Index [via TEAMtalk], the Daily Mail‘s Steele said Liverpool remain confident that Ngumoha is “happy” at Liverpool, with a move away unlikely:
“We know that there’s other clubs sniffing around the Ngumoha situation. We know that Liverpool are pretty much saying nothing other than ‘we love Ngumoha and we want him to stay’; we want him to be the face of our future or one of the faces.
“So I think that’s pretty much it. I think [Julian] Ward is going to be looking into doing it. When I checked about a week ago, or maybe was it two weeks ago, I was told by, you know, people in different parts of, you know, the deal, as it were, that it wasn’t it wasn’t done just yet.
“But I think, from what I heard, Ngumoha is happy at Liverpool, and he wants to continue at Liverpool, and he’s loving life at Liverpool.”
Keeping Rio Ngumoha has to be a major Liverpool priority
Ngumoha is a special talent with the world at his feet, so Liverpool have to prioritise keeping hold of him, especially at this early point in his career.
He remains raw, so he isn’t necessarily ready to be starting for the Reds every week, but he has the potential to be world-class over time, with Jamie Redknapp explaining his talent since he was a youngster:
“I’d watched him since he was seven or eight years of age, he’s got this God-given talent, pace, when he picks up the ball, I’ve never seen anyone with such fast feet. That was the one thing I thought he could improve, but certainly at Liverpool with his finishing, he’s doing that, he’s getting better, he’s getting end product.”
Steele’s belief that Ngumoha is content at Liverpool is significant news, and he will hopefully see that Andoni Iraola is building something exciting, with the Spaniard seeing him as a big part of his plans.
The Reds must keep the Englishman at all costs, and if he ever leaves, it must be to a European club rather than a Premier League rival such as Arsenal or someone else.