Rio Ngumoha's emergence has justified Liverpool's decision to not pursue Bradley Barcola, Reds transfer expert David Lynch has insisted.
The Merseysiders emerged as 3-2 victors against Newcastle United on Monday night, but they relied on 16 year old Ngumoha to net a winner in the 100th minute.
While Arne Slot can count himself fortunate to have left St James' Park with all three points, the teenager's winner has strengthened the claim the Reds do not need to sign a winger this summer.
The club had been linked with Paris Saint-Germain's Bradley Barcola, but Lynch explained why the Reds were right to not pursue him, telling Sports Mole: "Sometimes you report things that people don't want to hear, so you might get stick on social media. One of those is mentioning that Ngumoha is a genuine option.
"People thought that it was an excuse not to make a transfer. I didn't specifically report this line, but others have said they didn't want to sign Barcola because they don't want to block Rio's pathway.
"People don't like hearing that because it feels like an excuse to not make a transfer and to save money, but in this case it's genuinely true. The game underlines the fact they do believe they've got a special talent on their hands and that you cannot block those talents when they come through."
The Reds had been tentatively linked with Barcola, but given the winger plays on the left like Ngumoha and would expect to be the starter on that side for a number of seasons, perhaps it was wise to move on from the Frenchman.
Liverpool's Rio Ngumoha celebrates on August 25, 2025
Virgil van Dijk: Liverpool's best defender against Newcastle
Ngumoha was not the only player to impress against Newcastle, with centre-back Virgil van Dijk excelling at the back despite the poor performance of his partner Ibrahima Konate.
The Dutchman is 34 years old but he still managed to make 13 clearances and win five aerial duels, an impressive feat considering the Magpies had 22 set pieces.
Lynch praised the captain's reliability in difficult moments, when he told Sports Mole: "The duels that he did win were so crucial. There's one right at the end where he has no right to beat Dan Burn. Even the ones he wasn't winning, he was making it really difficult for them to do anything.
"I loved those few scenarios where Liverpool's players were getting caught up in the madness of the game and the physicality of Newcastle, and he's just dragging them away from the ref. He's like, 'I'll deal with it'.
"The organisation, keeping people's heads - I thought he was fantastic. He's pure class in his defending, as we always know. A brilliant performance from him. Probably not helped by the guy next to him - I thought he had a poor game, so for Van Dijk to dig him out was useful."
Liverpool have conceded four goals in their opening two games of 2025-26, but despite some defensive concerns, Van Dijk has been amongst the division's best.
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk tries to speak to referee Simon Hooper as Newcastle United captain Bruno Guimaraes attempts to interrupt on August 25, 2025
With Jeremie Frimpong sidelined due to a hamstring injury, and Conor Bradley lacking match fitness, Dominik Szoboszlai was selected to play as a right-back against Newcastle.
The midfielder was key to the Reds at both ends of the pitch, and his decision to dummy Mohamed Salah's pass to Ngumoha led to the winning goal.
Speaking to Sports Mole, Lynch highlighted the importance of the Hungarian to the team's victory, saying: "Szoboszlai, to do that shift out there, I loved it. There were a couple of moments where he gets stood up twice by Harvey Barnes, and I thought, 'he's going to be OK here at right-back'.
"There were moments where he cuts the ball out at the back stick, [defending] a couple of crosses coming in, and he's the man who's there. Really intelligent defending, and exactly what you'd expect from a right-back who's played a million games there.
"He was really good in that, and he never stops running. It was a chaotic game and Liverpool still concede twice, but I thought the fact they were even in with a chance of winning the game in the end was because of performances like that from the senior players."
Szoboszlai was used as a number 10 last season, so his adaptation to a deeper role has been surprising, but his ability to play multiple positions has boosted Slot's options.
> Click here to listen to the full discussion on Rio Ngumoha's performance against Newcastle United
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