Liverpool supporters will be sweating a little on Friday evening after news broke that Bayern Munich are trying to sign Rio Ngumoha.
Reds fans had not at all been expecting to lose the 17-year-old after a stellar breakthrough season, and even though Liverpool have made Ngumoha untouchable, a nervousness will remain.
As the teenager himself has recently made clear, though, supporters may have no need to worry at all. As far as Ngumoha is concerned, Liverpool are ‘the best club in the world.’
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Ngumoha thinks there’s no place like Liverpool
Ngumoha has already shown quite clearly that he will up sticks and move on from a football club if he thinks his career can be better served elsewhere.
He did that when leaving Chelsea for Liverpool in 2024, and some may feel that a move abroad to Bayern Munich could be seen as an enticing next move for Ngumoha.
However, the PFA Young Player of the Year nominee is reportedly a boyhood Liverpool supporter, and as he said after scooping the Man of the Match award during a match against Fulham in April, he sees the Reds as being the best place for his development.
“Liverpool for me is the biggest club in the world,” Nguomha told Sky Sports. “To start so young and the manager having belief in me and all the players, it’s great. I’ve just got to keep working hard and keep pushing on and score again.”
Leaving Liverpool makes no sense for Ngumoha
If all footballers were held to their public declarations, then it’s likely that none of them would ever move anywhere. Players say things all the time and regularly go back on their word.
As a result, some will remain nervous that a big bid from Bayern could see Liverpool relent and sell Ngumoha if he pushes to leave.
For now, though, that would seem like a long shot on the German club’s behalf.
Ngumoha is getting the chances he craves at Liverpool, and even though the Reds could buy a new starting left winger this summer, that will continue under Iraola next season.
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Should he leave for Bayern he would be firmly behind Luis Diaz – one of the best wingers in the world last season – in the pecking order.
Though he could still play a lot of matches and win big trophies, he might as well be doing that at Liverpool, without upending his whole life.
You have got to admire the brass neck on Bayern to even go for this, and they are one of the few clubs in world football who almost every footballer would consider joining.
But after his statements in April, and his general happiness at playing for Liverpool, we cannot see this one happening. That being said, Liverpool might need to start thinking about a new contract for Ngumoha.
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