Rio Ngumoha has been added to Liverpool’s first-team squad on the club’s website on what is his 17th birthday as Arne Slot anticipates a chance against Arsenal.
Ngumoha can now sign his first professional contract with Liverpool after turning 17 on Friday, with an announcement expected in due course after arriving as a scholar from Chelsea.
And he has now been named among Liverpool’s first-team forward options on the club website, swapping from the club’s academy list to join the likes of Mo Salah, Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike.
It comes as Slot told reporters that the 17-year-old could have an opportunity to show his qualities again on Sunday against Arsenal, with a “fair chance” of coming off the bench.
Discussing what role Ngumoha can expect this season, Slot at first joked by saying: “Left-winger, that’s the role I see for him! Or is that not what you mean?”
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He then added: “On a serious note, I think this whole press conference started with the spending of us [and] all other clubs in the Premier League.
“The nice part of it all is that then, in the end, a 16-year-old coming from the academy – partly Chelsea, partly ours – scores the winning goal.
“So, that’s also the beauty still of football that although we’ve spent a lot, sold a lot as well, there is still room [for him].
“If we only spend and do not sell, then there was probably not room for him. But now there is room for him and he can show his qualities.
“As things stand now, there’s still room for him to show that in the upcoming game as well because we haven’t made any signings, so I think he will be on the bench again and has a fair chance of coming in if he’s needed.”
It is a nod to the trust Slot has in the teenager, first to come off the bench when Liverpool needed a goal at Newcastle and to be a consistent option throughout the season.
Liverpool did not pursue signings such as Bradley Barcola or Malick Fofana as they wanted to ensure the pathway was clear for Ngumoha, who has already underlined why that is the club’s stance.