Liverpool winger Rio Ngumoha signs first professional contract | OneFootball

Liverpool prospect Rio Ngumoha has signed his first professional contract with the Premier League champions after turning 17 last month.

The winger has agreed a three-year deal, the maximum allowed for a player of his age under FA rules. Liverpool have not disclosed financial terms, but the club enforces a wage cap for players under 18.

Ngumoha joined the Reds from Chelsea last September after spending almost a decade at Cobham. His decision to leave the London club was based on a belief that his pathway to first-team football would be clearer at Anfield.

The move caused tension between the two sides, with Chelsea unhappy about losing one of their brightest academy products.

Liverpool scouts were subsequently banned from attending youth fixtures at Chelsea’s training ground. A tribunal is still to decide the level of compensation due to the Blues.

Since arriving on Merseyside, Ngumoha has risen quickly through the youth system. He began with the under-18s before being promoted to the under-21s and was handed his senior debut in January’s FA Cup win over Accrington Stanley.

The Newham-born forward has already made history in a Liverpool shirt. He became the youngest player to start a competitive match for the club at 16 years and 135 days, and the youngest scorer in their history with a dramatic stoppage-time winner at Newcastle United in August.

He also claimed another record when he appeared in the Champions League against Atletico Madrid last week, becoming Liverpool’s youngest player in European competition.

Ngumoha has made five senior appearances in total under Arne Slot this season, including Tuesday’s Carabao Cup win over Southampton.

His emergence has influenced the club’s transfer strategy, with Liverpool opting not to pursue wingers such as Bradley Barcola and Malick Fofana in order to preserve his route into the first team.

The teenager is now viewed as a direct deputy to Cody Gakpo on the left flank, while his versatility means he can operate across the front line if required.

Ngumoha’s signing continues a trend of Liverpool securing long-term commitments from their most promising youngsters.

The Reds believe they have a player capable of becoming a fixture in the side for years to come, with his poise and fearlessness already catching the eye at the highest level.