The emergence of 17-year-old forward Rio Ngumoha at Liverpool has been one of the most talked about stories to start the 2025-26 Premier League season. Despite having four senior appearances already to start the season and with around 100 minutes under his belt, though, Ngumoha hadn’t yet signed his first professional contract.
That changed today, with the club announcing the young winger had put pen to paper and was now officially a professional football player a year after leaving Chelsea to join
the Reds. It’s a move that angered the London Blues, but Chelsea’s loss has already been Liverpool’s gain—and the future looks nothing but bright for Ngumoha.
His 75 minute appearance against Southampton earlier in the week was Ngumoha’s first start of the season for the Reds, but his first start for Liverpool actually came in his senior debut—and only appearance—last season when he was in the eleven that beat Accrington Stanley 4-0 in the third round of the FA Cup back in January.
Liverpool and Chelsea have been unable to agree compensation for his move to the most successful club in the history of English football. It was expected a fee would be set by tribunal this autumn. However, that could now be delayed until December. Most recently, Liverpool paid a tribunal fee of £1.5M to Fulham for Harvey Elliott.
