Liverpool have been forced to take drastic action to prevent a Real Madrid approach for another of their players, it has been reported.
Liverpool lost Trent Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid during the summer transfer window.
Although the England star was set to join Los Blancos on a free transfer, the Spanish side opted to pay £10 million to cut his contract short so he could feature in the Club World Cup.
The Reds reacted swiftly, bringing in Bayer Leverkusen’s Jeremie Frimpong as his replacement at right-back.
Meanwhile, Ibrahima Konaté—who is entering the final year of his Liverpool deal—has been linked with a free transfer to Madrid.
Liverpool have since secured the signing of highly rated 18-year-old defender Giovanni Leoni from Parma, though a £35 million move for Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi collapsed on deadline day.
Now, reports suggest Real Madrid are turning their attention to another Liverpool talent.
According to Fichajes, the Spanish giants are tracking 17-year-old Rio Ngumoha, whose contract runs until 2026. However, Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes is reportedly preparing to offer him a long-term extension to fend off interest.
Ngumoha recently hit the headlines after scoring the decisive goal in Liverpool’s 3-2 win over Newcastle, curling a right-footed strike into the top corner from the edge of the box.
That goal made him only the fourth player in Premier League history—after James Vaughan, Wayne Rooney, and James Milner—to score before turning 17.
Speaking to the club’s official website, Ngumoha described his excitement at marking his first-team breakthrough with a goal:
“It was crazy. The manager looked at me and said, ‘Get ready, go on and make an impact’. Thankfully I did.
As the ball came to me, I just backed myself to finish. Hearing the fans chant my name was an unbelievable feeling.
But you can’t get too caught up in the noise—it’s something I practice every day in training. Still, doing it in front of the supporters was surreal.”
