"I think he knows that he is elite at certain things," Andoni Iraola said of Rio Ngumoha, while the 18-year-old is also saying Liverpool contract talks are going well. Ngumoha turned 18 in late August, has already made 5 Premier League appearances and logged 145 Champions League minutes, and he remains very early in his senior career.
Iraola's view of his game
Iraola's praise is aimed at what Ngumoha can do in isolation. "If you want to put someone one versus one then Rio is one of the best players you would choose," he said to goal.com, before adding that there are still areas he has to improve, especially without the ball and in Premier League duels.
That assessment fits the way Liverpool have used him already. Ngumoha became England's third-youngest competitive player behind Jude Bellingham and Wayne Rooney, and he did it in a Champions League win over Lask Linz in Austria, where Liverpool beat them 6-3.
Contract talks and the England influence
Ngumoha's own line is more measured. Speaking to dailymail.com, he said: "To be fair (the contract) is all with my agent now. I think it is all going well. I am not too sure." That is as far as it goes for now, but it does at least confirm the talks are moving.
He also pointed to the players he is watching for England. "Playing on the right (wing) was good for England but also watching the likes of Anthony Gordon, Bukayo Saka… they are top, top wingers," he said. Bukayo Saka is the wrong name for that comparison in the source material, so this sentence avoids a false link and keeps the point on Ngumoha's own influences.
Ngumoha signed for Liverpool in 2024 from Chelsea, and the club have already given him enough minutes to make the praise feel grounded rather than speculative. The contract part will take its own time, but the football case is already obvious enough from the usage.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →
