How Liverpool wrestled Ngumoha away from Chelsea

Chelsea poached Ngumoha from Arsenal but then lost him to Liverpool in 2024

From the age of eight to 16, Rio Ngumoha was a Blue. A Chelsea Blue.

But there is no doubting it now - the forward is a Red after scoring Liverpools last-minute winner away at Newcastle.

All the talk going into Mondays game was about whether Liverpool might sign Newcastle striker Alexander Isak, who remains in exile, after a £110m bid was rejected earlier this month.

But Ngumoha was the post-match headliner.

And this follows the pattern of his fledgling career to date. In academy circles Ngumoha has been the talk of English football for the last five years or so having excelled in Chelseas Cobham academy.

Last September he left Stamford Bridge in shock as Liverpool wrestled him away from Chelsea.

On Friday he turns 17 and will sign his first professional contract at the Anfield club, one that is sure to be highly lucrative given his talents.

So why he was he so sought after? What happened at Chelsea? And what promise does he bring to Liverpool?

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16-year-old Ngumoha scores 100th-minute winner as Liverpool beat Newcastle

According to multiple sources, Ngumoha, who was born in Newham in London, decided to leave Chelsea because he believed the pathway on offer was better at Liverpool.

Those close to him believe that Ngumohas chances so far have vindicated his decision to move.

Multiple Premier League options were weighed up by his family and close advisors.

At Chelsea, Ngumoha was regarded as the best player in his age group, but he still was not sure about whether he would get enough early chances in the first team.

This was despite attempted assurances and several significant future contracts having been offered.

Despite all this, one source said he was not made to feel special or like he would indeed be fast-tracked into the first team.

One example given was that, although he was among the youngest players to play in an under-18s match for Chelsea, he found himself not getting enough of those opportunities and believed he could play multiple age groups above his own.

This all did not go down well at Stamford Bridge, and Chelsea remain angry at losing Ngumoha.

They are believed to have restricted scouts from Liverpool and Manchester United from watching their academy talent despite Premier League rules allowing it as long as 24 hours notice is given.

It is quite a turnaround from the Roman Abramovich era.

Chelsea had long been one of top academy set-ups, capable of poaching talents through simply being one of the best funded.

There is an acknowledgment at senior academy level inside Chelsea that this is a new era where Liverpool and Manchester United are now back at the top table of youth football.

Arsenal, Tottenham, Aston Villa and Newcastle are among those following just behind amid a wider backdrop that Brexit has put a premium on top English talent.

The UK leaving the European Union in 2020 has left European players needing to wait until their 18th birthday before moving to a Premier League club, leading to renewed investment in youth football.

There is a wider context around Chelsea during Ngumohas time there, with the club undergoing rapid change under the Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital ownership.

Morale had dipped in the senior academy squad after the 2022 takeover, with some sources saying that the amount of young overseas players being bought for the first team was a key factor.

Meanwhile, flagship academy talents like Mason Mount, Lewis Hall, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Conor Gallagher left for substantial profit to balance the rampant spending.

Results did not quickly follow with Chelsea finishing 12th and sixth in the first two years under the American consortium.

Ngumoha left Chelsea under the leadership of former long-term academy chiefs Neil Bath and Jim Fraser and, by the time Glenn van der Kraan joined from Manchester City and Jack Francis was promoted last summer, it was too late.

There was a period of unrest through the sheer pace of change at Chelsea behind the scenes, but the signs are that the club is settling and Enzo Marescas victories in the Conference League and Club World Cup, while giving a record eight academy debuts in a single season, have helped improve the situation.

Early chances for Reggie Walsh at the age of 16 and Shim Mheuka, having just turned 17, show how Chelsea are trying to avoid further repeats.

The club are determined not to lose another talent of Ngumohas calibre.

The same points keep cropping up when people who know Ngumoha talk about him: he has a great mentality, is a top dribbling talent, and that his brother James has been crucial to his development.

Ngumoha, who has represented England U15s, U16s and U17s, played at the Ole Futsal Academy in small-sided matches alongside his development in Chelseas academy.

Ole Futsal owner Alfie Brooks told BBC Sport: "Rio was outstanding and the same player now as when he was on television last night.

"His footwork and first touch were outstanding from an early age but what set him apart was his ability to execute those skills at speed. He can beat players with ease, he is very technical.

"If he stays in the same pathway, he can reach any level he wants."

Saul Isaksson-Hurst was both Ngumohas coach at Under-9s level and worked with him in a private capacity later in his career.

"We managed to get him from the clutches of Arsenal," he said. "He was a phenomenal talent at U9s.

"I dont say it lightly, he is one of the best academy talents I have come across, and I have seen some top players become superstars.

"What makes him stand out is his one-v-one ability on the ball - he can break lines, drive at players, beat players on either side and end product.

"I told his brother I expect him to see him on the Ballon dOr list one day, I believe he can do that."

Isaksson-Hurst has one particular standout memory:

"I remember we went to a tournament in France and all the biggest academies were there like Juventus, Ajax and Anderlecht and we went out in the group stage," he said.

"But Rio won player of the tournament and that never happens in youth football. It usually goes to the winner who wins the competition.

"He stood out that much that he was the outlier not just in England but across Europe. He is a top talent, good mentality and with the potential to go all the way."

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