Liverpool Confirm Signing of 16-Year-Old Chelsea Forward Rio Ngumoha
Liverpool have officially signed 16-year-old Chelsea forward Rio Ngumoha, adding another promising talent to their youth ranks.
After being tracked by Liverpool scouts for some time, Ngumoha has now joined the club’s under-18 squad for the 2024-25 season.
On Thursday, Ngumoha took to Instagram to announce his departure from Chelsea, where he had trained with the first team earlier this year.
He expressed gratitude to the Chelsea Academy, while also sharing photos of his scholarship signing at Anfield. Despite Chelsea’s efforts to retain the England youth international, Ngumoha rejected their scholarship offer, leading to Liverpool securing his signature.
Although Chelsea are entitled to a compensation fee, they are reportedly displeased with how the transfer unfolded. However, reports that Liverpool broke their wage structure to acquire Ngumoha have been denied, with the youngster set to earn a scholarship wage under the guidance of Academy director Alex Inglethorpe.
Liverpool’s successful track record of developing academy players into first-team regulars played a key role in convincing Ngumoha to make the move.
This transfer aligns with Liverpool’s post-Brexit strategy, focusing on securing top domestic talents as opportunities to sign players from Europe have become more restricted.
Liverpool Confirm Signing of 16-Year-Old Chelsea Forward Rio Ngumoha
