Ngumoha dismisses Arsenal transfer talk as Liverpool teenager lets football do the talking

Rio Ngumoha insists he is focused solely on his football at Liverpool despite mounting interest from Arsenal, Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig in the 18-year-old winger, who spoke to reporters following his 38-minute cameo in the Reds’ 2-1 comeback victory at Brentford’s Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday.

The England youth international was direct when asked about his future, saying: “To be fair, that is all with my agent now. I think it is all going well. I am not too sure. I just let my football do the talking at the end of the day.” He added that transfer speculation sits firmly “in the back of my mind,” stressing that his priority is performing for Liverpool and continuing his development under new head coach Andoni Iraola.

Ngumoha’s cameo at Brentford coincided with both of Liverpool’s comeback goals, underlining why top European clubs have taken notice. The teenager has now featured in five of Liverpool’s first seven Premier League matches this season, as well as two Champions League appearances against Atletico Madrid and LASK, and a start in the 3-1 Carabao Cup win over Tottenham. He has yet to score this term but registered two goals and an assist in 19 Premier League appearances — totalling 582 minutes — during the 2024-25 campaign under Arne Slot.

Interest from Arsenal was first reported by David Ornstein of The Athletic last month, with the club said to regard Ngumoha as “well-liked” at the Emirates. The links come in the context of Liverpool losing Mohamed Salah to Turkish side Trabzonspor last summer, leaving Ngumoha to fill minutes on both flanks.

The 18-year-old has embraced the positional flexibility, revealing he has grown to enjoy operating on the right wing. “Do I have a favourite position? No, not anymore. I am getting to grips with the right wing now, and I am liking it. It gives me a bit more unpredictability. I have been working hard on the training pitch,” he said.

A recent England youth camp also proved instructive. “I went away with England and I was playing on the right, so I learned a lot there as well. Watching the likes of Anthony Gordon and Bukayo Saka — I took on board some of the stuff they told me, and it’s really helpful.”

Ngumoha also praised Iraola’s influence, noting that the Basque coach has encouraged him to take on defenders more frequently in one-on-one situations. “I am enjoying working with him and enjoying improving,” he said.