With Liverpool set to sign 15-year-old winger Rio Ngumoha from Chelsea, the London club are said to be “furious” about losing their youngster.
Ngumoha is expected to become the latest addition to the Reds’ outstanding academy ranks, with the teenager due to sign scholarship terms when he turns 16 later this month.
It comes after years on the books at Chelsea, though claims from Fabrizio Romano that Liverpool would break their existing youth wage structure to sign him have since been refuted.
Still, Ngumoha is now widely reported as an imminent arrival at the AXA Training Centre, with the Mail‘s Lewis Steele among those to cover talks.
The skilful winger, who typically plays on the left, is said to be “motivated by the pathway and opportunities on offer at Liverpool,” with the triumph in last season’s Carabao Cup a prime example.
His decision, which is unlikely to be formally announced by Liverpool due to the player’s age, is claimed to have left those at Chelsea “furious.”
This comes despite Chelsea further blocking the pathway with deals for Brazilian winger Estevao, 17, and Ecuadorian attacking midfielder Kendry Paez, 16, for a combined £68.3 million this summer.
They have also brought in Omari Kellyman and Marc Guiu, both 18, from Aston Villa and Barcelona respectively, while 19-year-olds Deivid Washington, Angelo and Diego Moreira are also battling for a place out wide.
It stands to reason that a player like Ngumoha would view Liverpool as a more likely avenue to first-team football.
Though there has been a change of manager at Anfield, the arrival of Arne Slot as head coach is not expected to affect the club’s commitment to youth.
The likes of Trey Nyoni, Amara Nallo and Kieran Morrison, all 17, have already been involved in the first days of pre-season as part of the next generation of young talent.
Liverpool had hoped to also sign attacking midfielder Ryan McAidoo, 16, from Chelsea this summer, but he is now due to join Man City instead.
A deal has been lined up for Wolves defender Alvin Ayman, however, with the 16-year-old – who can also play in defence – likely to join Ngumoha in the U18s squad for the start of the season.
The Reds are due to confirm their next scholarship intake in the coming weeks, with Djibril Cisse’s son, Prince Kobe Cisse, among those understood to have been offered terms.
Zac Jagielka, son of ex-Everton defender Phil, has however left the club for Hull City.
