Liverpool Move to Shield Wonderkid Rio Ngumoha from Real Madrid Interest
Liverpool are preparing to act decisively to prevent Real Madrid from prising away yet another of their stars.
The Reds already suffered the high-profile departure of Trent Alexander-Arnold to Los Blancos this summer. Though the right-back had been expected to leave on a free, Madrid accelerated the move by paying £10 million to terminate his deal early so he could feature in the Club World Cup. Liverpool wasted little time in responding, snapping up Bayer Leverkusen full-back Jeremie Frimpong as his replacement.
Madrid’s interest has not stopped there. Ibrahima Konaté, now in the final year of his contract, has been tipped for a potential free transfer to Spain, while Liverpool’s attempts to reinforce their defence saw 18-year-old Giovanni Leoni arrive from Parma. A £35m move for Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi collapsed on deadline day, however, leaving questions over the Reds’ long-term defensive plans.
Now, according to Fichajes, Madrid have shifted their focus to Liverpool’s teenage sensation Rio Ngumoha. The 17-year-old forward’s contract runs until 2026, but sporting director Richard Hughes is reportedly preparing a new long-term deal to lock in his future at Anfield.
Ngumoha has already made history, announcing himself in spectacular fashion last month with a stunning strike in Liverpool’s 3-2 win over Newcastle. The goal made him only the fourth player in Premier League history — after James Vaughan, Wayne Rooney, and James Milner — to score before turning 17.
Reflecting on his debut goal, the youngster told the club’s official website:
“It was crazy. The manager told me, ‘Get ready, go on and make an impact.’ Thankfully I did. As the ball came, I just backed myself to score. Hearing the fans chant my name was unbelievable. But I try not to get carried away — I probably finish like that a hundred times in training. The only difference was having the supporters behind me, and that made it even more special.”
With Madrid circling, Liverpool know the pressure is on to protect their next generational talent.
