Rio Ngumoha is the most IMPORTANT transfer of Arne Slot era | OneFootball

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot and sporting director Richard Hughes have reportedly aired a disagreement over Rio Ngumoha.

The Reds’ No73 was promoted to the first-team squad last summer - just one year after moving to Anfield from Chelsea’s academy aged just 15.

The defending Premier League champions sold title-winning winger Luis Diaz to Bayern Munich for £65m - with Slot expecting a senior replacement to be sourced in the shape of Malick Fofana or Bradley Barcola.

But no deal was forthcoming on the left wing for the head coach - with Hughes reportedly dictating that Slot use Rio Ngumoha as cover and competition for Cody Gakpo instead.

Ngumoha sparks civil WAR

Liverpool have got a plan for their best young talents; to use them in the first team or else give them a showcase for sales further down the line. That is what they expected to happen with Ngumoha - and for Trey Nyoni for that matter.

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And having starred in preseason - scoring five goals - there were initially signs of encouragement for the England youth forward Ngumoha.

Having sat on the bench for the season opener against Bournemouth he was introduced as a late substitute in the second game of the campaign against Newcastle.

It couldn’t have gone any better for the winger - scoring a late winner at St. James’ Park and later inking a first-ever pro deal.

But there is no doubt that Ngumoha’s progress has been checked.

Arne Slot offering little first-team football to Rio Ngumoha

At one stage he went a full month without any game time for either the first team or the under-21s - risking stagnation for one of the country’s top teenage talents.

He hasn’t even managed 20 minutes in total in the Premier League since the start of November with Slot opting to keep Rio on the bench for the entirety of the 2-2 draw against Fulham on Sunday.

What sticks in the craw is that the Reds have recently NEEDED a left-wing option.

Gakpo is the anointed one on the left in Slot’s eyes but he’s been injured in recent weeks.

Instead of turning to Ngumoha in the midst of an injury crisis he opted to change the formation altogether - and then named three players who were ahead of him in the pecking order.

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Is Slot under pressure to play Ngumoha?

And this is no ordinary footballer either; Ngumoha was seen as a huge coup for Liverpool last summer and Real Madrid were sniffing around before he signed his pro contract.

He needs minutes and deserves the chance to prove himself. And more importantly for Slot the issue has put him at loggerheads with his paymasters.

The way in which he handles youths including Ngumoha may end up defining his future at the club. It’s being used as a stick to beat him with - from not offering minutes to prime young talents to a failure to turn up to academy showcases put on for his benefit.

Liverpool need to get back on track results-wise - and Slot will probably be feeling that he cannot afford to offer game time to young tyros when the pressure is on.

But the job he was hired to do is “head coach” and not “manager”; it’s in his remit to carry out those instructions from the top.

And if he cannot - or will not do that - then it could open up a deep and permanent rift. Ngumoha could end up being Liverpool’s most consequential signing in years - for more than one reason.