Rio Ngumoha is a 16-year-old sensation who is on the verge of signing his first-ever professional contract with Liverpool in the coming months.
The Reds kicked off their pre-season campaign with a 3-1 victory over EFL Championship side Preston North End, with a starring performance on the left wing from young Ngumoha.
Last Sunday, Ngumoha picked up where he left off, scoring his first-ever senior goal as the Reds defeated Stoke City 5-0 in a behind-closed-doors friendly at the AXA Training Centre.
Ngumoha also dominated the first half against AC Milan in Hong Kong, creating chances, winning duels, completing dribbles, and capping it off with a brilliant assist.
With Liverpool still to face Yokohama F. Marinos in Japan, before rounding up their pre-season with a double-header against Athletic Club at Anfield, Ngumoha will be eager for more chances to impress Arne Slot.
Last season, the forward made his senior debut in January by playing 72 minutes in a 4-0 victory over Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup.
That was Ngumohas sole appearance for the first team last season, though he was an unused substitute in a Carabao Cup victory at Southampton and in an FA Cup defeat away to Plymouth Argyle.
Therefore, last summers signing from Chelsea spent the vast majority of the 2024/2025 season playing for Liverpools academy sides.
Ngumoha amassed over 1900 minutes across matches for their U18 and U21s and also started the first two matches of Englands disappointing U17 European Championships.
This player analysis and scout report will examine Rio Ngumoha style of play, his technical and physical profile, and his potential role within Arne Slot tactical setup at Liverpool during the 2025/2026 Premier League season and beyond.
Who Is Rio Ngumoha?
Rio Ngumoha’s statistical profile paints the picture of a technically gifted, instinctive attacker whose strengths lie in his explosive acceleration, close control in tight spaces and flair for beating defenders one-on-one.
He’s got a knack for making smart choices in the final third, whether it’s threading a killer pass, taking on a shot, or drawing a foul, and those moments feel anything but accidental.
Even before joining Liverpool, Ngumoha has always been a productive, high-volume dribbler.
The skilful winger averaged 12.91 dribbles per 90 minutes, with a 64% completion rate at the U16 level for England, while averaging 0.84 goals and assists per 90 minutes at Chelsea.
Thats precisely why Ngumoha earned first-team training opportunities at Chelsea at the age of just 15 and why club legend John Terry didn’t publicly hold back his disappointment when the prodigious talent walked away.
This sensationally high level of dribbling would continue in his opening season in Merseyside, even if the attacking output naturally declined as he progressed into a higher academy age group.
In last seasons UEFA Youth League, he ranked among the top five players for attempting the most dribbles per 90 minutes.
According to Wyscout, Ngumoha averaged 10.98 dribbles per 90 minutes.
Stacking up double-digit dribbles per 90 might turn heads, but Ngumoha takes it a step further; he doesn’t just attempt them, he completes them more efficiently than anyone else in that high-volume bracket.
He was completing 60% of his attempted dribbles, far higher than Liberali (36.84%) and McAidoo (51.72%).
But, as was alluded to, the end product is far from evident at this stage of Ngumohas development.
Ngumoha failed to find the back of the net in last seasons competition with a fairly worrying xG figure of 0.52 across 429 minutes.
Rio Ngumoha Style Of Play
But just how good is Rio Ngumoha?
At 593, Ngumohas build lets him dance past defenders without losing momentum.
He is compact, agile, and always looking to make something happen.
Sure, he’s a direct winger, but there’s flair in how he does it: quick shifts, clever feints, and that little burst of acceleration that leaves full-backs scrambling.
Whats particularly interesting about Ngumoha is that he isnt reliant on speed whatsoever; the 16-year-old has very quick feet but maintains an average pace over medium-to-long distances.
Instead, its how he glides through space, slipping past tackles like he’s one step ahead of everyone else.
That unpredictability, paired with sharp footwork and unparalleled confidence on the ball, makes defenders look like they’re chasing shadows.
As you can see, defenders don’t take chances with Ngumoha; the youngsters presence alone draws extra bodies his way.
Its not unusual to see two or even three players occupying him, as evident here with three Stoke City bodies around him.
This naturally opens up space for his fellow attackers to exploit.
Ngumoha doesn
