Arne Slot set to make summer decision over Liverpool signing that infuriated rivals

Arne Slot set to make summer decision over Liverpool signing that infuriated rivals

Rio Ngumoha is marking his one-year anniversary as a Liverpool player this summer - and his next short-term challenge is clear

Rio Ngumoha and other Academy talents could be in line for another Liverpool FA Cup appearance this weekend (Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images) (Image: Jan Kruger/Getty Images )

With the lack of an international tournament meaning a full complement of Liverpool's squad will report for duty at the start of pre-season training on July 7, competition to catch Arne Slot's eye will inevitably increase.

But if there is one fledgling in the youth ranks who is likely to be unfazed by such a prospect, it is Rio Ngumoha, who marks his one-year anniversary as a Liverpool player this summer.

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Liverpool, as is standard for their young hopefuls, did not tag on the bells and whistles to Ngumoha's arrival publicly, and they were very keen not to place too much pressure on his shoulders at such a fledgling stage of his football journey, despite the attention that followed their Chelsea raiding, which was said to have left the Londoners furious at the time.

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There was plenty of external clamour after news broke of the Reds' poaching last year, with one seasoned watcher of youth football branding him "one of the best young wingers in Europe" at the time. "Potentially elite," was also the verdict of one Anfield insider at the time.

Suggestions Liverpool had broken their wage structure to land the winger were rubbished in robust terms at the time, with the deal staying firmly in with policies that had been strictly set out by long-serving Academy director Alex Inglethorpe.

Still just 16, the electric Ngumoha showed flashes of his quality in the Academy ranks last season. The England U17 international scored his first goal for the club in the U18s win over former side Chelsea in the Premier League Cup before registering two in the Premier League 2 for the Under-21s in a draw at Aston Villa.

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His big moment, though, arrived in January when Arne Slot made the surprise decision to name in the starting lineup for an FA Cup victory over Accrington in January.

With Under-18s boss Marc Bridge-Wilkinson and U21 manager Barry Lewtas both leaving the club this summer at a time when there are fewer emerging starlets from the youth ranks than in recent years, even if Ngumoha will feel he is an exception to that general view.

Ngumoha claimed last year that his overall aim in football was to one day be formally recognised as the world's best player, telling Lovell Soccer: "I think for me, we're all believing that I can win the Ballon d'Or.

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"I want to be regarded as one of the best players to ever play football and yeah, be a legend in the game."

While the wisdom of those guiding the teenager can be debated after such a public statement of almost impossible ambition, there is at least little doubting the belief of a gifted young player with a potentially huge future in the game.

For now, though, the 16-year-old will be content with a spot on the plane when the Reds fly out on tour to Hong Kong and Japan. Competition for places on the flight will be intense given the plethora of frontmen available to Slot but a strong showing this summer will be a solid step forward for a player who clearly has a burning ambition to showcase his talents.

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