Ngumoha to hand ‘ultimate humiliation’ to senior teammate after latest Liverpool evidence
Rio Ngumoha’s emergence with the senior team has been one of the stories of the summer at Liverpool.
The 16-year-old only arrived from Chelsea last summer, but his reputation in L4 is growing bigger by the minute, thanks to a string of hugely encouraging displays in pre-season.
Ngumoha is tipped for a huge future at Liverpool, and it has recently been suggested that the Reds had to redact training footage of the youngster last season for fear of embarrassing the senior defenders.
The winger is a massively exciting prospect, and his emergence could have a telling impact on one of the big-name stars at Anfield.
Ngumoha could seal Chiesa’s fate with Athletic Bilbao display
Ngumoha dazzled once again for Liverpool in their most recent outing against Athletic Bilbao.
Arne Slot’s side contested two friendlies against the Spanish giants on Monday (4 August), with the aim of getting significant minutes for as many players as possible.
That meant several opportunities were handed out to some of the champions’ brightest young talents, and Ngumoha once again seized his opportunity with both hands.
- Ngumoha notched a goal and an assist within five minutes against Bilbao
- Nobody completed more successful dribbles in the first match
- It was the latest in a long line of excellent pre-season displays from Ngumoha
The wideman notched a goal and an assist in the first five minutes of the opening game, in the latest event of his mission to prove to Slot that he is ready to be involved in the Premier League.
He was a constant threat to the Bilbao backline from start to finish, and he ended the evening as one of his side’s star performers across both matches.
Ngumoha has dazzled throughout the summer preparations, having also scored against Yokohama Marinos and notched an assist against AC Milan.
Slot is facing a serious decision as to whether he is prepared to throw the starlet in at the deep end this season, given that more and more excitement has begun to surround him in recent weeks.
- Ngumoha has made just one competitive appearance for Liverpool’s senior side so far – in the FA Cup win over Accrington Stanley back in January
His emergence could have a telling impact on Federico Chiesa, who may be staring at the possibility of being surpassed in the pecking order by a 16-year-old in the early stages of the season.
The Italian has been linked with a move away already this summer, and Ngumoha’s recent exploits may provide the final nail in the coffin for his time at Anfield.
Slot should give backup minutes to Ngumoha not Chiesa
Chiesa has had a nightmare spell at Anfield, and it has been speculated that his stint on Merseyside could be about to come to an end this summer.
It simply hasn’t worked out for the 27-year-old in England, and the threat of being usurped in the first-team squad by a player of Ngumoha’s age would be the ultimate humiliation for a man who was a Euros winner as recently as four years ago.
| Stats | Juventus (2023/24) | Liverpool (2024/25) |
| Apps | 33 | 6 |
| Starts | 25 | 1 |
| Minutes | 2207 | 104 |
| Goals | 9 | – |
| Assists | 2 | – |
However, it may make logical sense for Slot to prioritise giving the youngster minutes ahead of Chiesa.
The pair will both be behind the likes of Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo in the pecking order, and that will mean that there are only a handful of minutes available, largely in substitute cameos or against low-ranking sides.
The boss may opt to hand that gametime to a player who potentially has the world at his feet, rather than somebody who seems to be effectively doomed to fail in the Premier League.
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