Liverpool have two 'incredibly young' talents who will push for first team minutes next season

Liverpool return for pre-season next Tuesday with almost a full first-team squad for Arne Slot to choose from.

In complete contrast to his first summer in charge of the Reds, Slot will welcome nearly all of his players back for the first day of training.

Two players will miss the first day of pre-season, with Harvey Elliott and Tyler Morton handed a little more time off following their exploits with England U21s.

But, otherwise, the Liverpool squad will be complete as they begin a gruelling fitness programme.

While this is clearly good news, the knock-on may be that less youngsters from the Liverpool academy are given the chance to impress Slot during the summer friendlies.

Nevertheless, according to journalist David Lynch, there are still two Reds talents who are expected to kick on in 2025/26.

Photo by Nick Taylor/Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images

Rio Ngumoha and Trey Nyoni backed for first team roles

Rewind to the summer of 2024, and with Slot forced to utilise the youngsters at the club, Trey Nyoni stole the show.

Slot raved about Nyoni after the tour in the USA, and backed that up by handing the 18-year-old five appearances during the season.

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Nyoni was later joined by 16-year-old Rio Ngumoha, who also featured for the first team in 2024/25, making a surprise start against Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup.

And, when asked which players could benefit from the arrival of former Wales manager Rob Page as U21s head coach, Lynch picked out Ngumoha and Nyoni as the two to watch.

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“I think the obvious ones are the ones who are already around the fringes, so you look at Rio Ngumoha who made his debut last season, Trey Nyoni has been close to it as well, so they’re the couple really who you’re keeping an eye on,” the journalist told Anfield Index.

“They will be in that [under] 21s group and the expectation is can they push for League Cup minutes, can they do anything there to help out the first team? They’re the ones really. They’re both incredibly young for 21s football by the way, but the idea is to put them there early so they can get a step closer to mens football.

“So, the main projects they’ll be working on is looking after players like that,” Lynch adds. “But there’s always a few who will get surprise opportunities. His [Page] job is to make sure all that group is as close to ready to play for the senior team as possible.”

Nyoni signs new Liverpool contract

After Nyoni was backed to make a bigger impact in the first team next season, the midfielder had a big day on Monday.

As well as the date marking his 18th birthday, Nyoni also signed a new ‘long-term’ contract with Liverpool.

“It means a lot, obviously supporting the club from young as well,” Nyoni told Liverpoolfc.com. “So, it’s a great feeling.

“But now I have to go out and show why I’ve earned this contract. I think it’s just step by step, day by day, just becoming better every day, just improving as a player.

““I’m still young, there’s a lot of improvement. That’s the most important thing. I just have to repay them in that way.”

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