Liverpool may have Mane 2.0 in “frightening” teen

Liverpool have produced some remarkable players over the years, but the club’s academy has never quite been a hothouse for prodigious talents.

Steven Gerrard is one of the greatest English midfielders in history, while Trent Alexander-Arnold is the contemporary Scouse-born star boy, but the Reds haven’t maintained the fastest of production lines across the decades, instead honing one or two stars every now and then.

Is that changing? You’d certainly say so if recent history is anything to go by. Jurgen Klopp’s advent on Merseyside transformed Liverpool’s fortunes, saw Jordan Henderson lift Premier League and Champions League titles.

But the German also heralded an upswing in youth success, bringing a wave of talent to the fore.

Liverpool’s best youth players

Right before Liverpool raised the Carabao Cup aloft in February, pundit Gary Neville infamously said: “Jurgen Klopp’s kids beat Chelsea’s billion-pound bottle-jobs.”

The injury-hit Merseysiders had prevailed against the odds, with a load of inexperienced youngsters covering yawning holes and claiming an unforgettable slice of silverware.

Ben Doak and Stefan Bajcetic were both injured, perhaps the two creams of the crop. However, the 2023/24 campaign had seen Conor Bradley and Jarell Quansah emerge onto the scene and cement established first-team roles, while lesser-known prospects like James McConnell, Jayden Danns and Bobby Clark all played instrumental parts.

An overload of quality, and it’s no surprise that Slot moved to trim the squad when he arrived during the summer. However, he did oversee the arrival of a teenage talent who might just trump the lot at Kirkby. His name’s Rio Ngumoha – and you might want to remember it.

Why Liverpool signed Rio Ngumoha

There was always going to be room for one more – especially if the talent in question was as good as Ngumoha, who, only 16, is operating on a different stratosphere to his age-mates.

Reporter Lewis Bower even said: “I’ve probably never seen anything like it before. In terms of his ceiling, it’s frightening.”

The gulf between youth and senior top-flight football is chasmic. Liverpool, however, are convinced that Ngumoha is one of the most talented 16-year-olds across the globe, with his fleet-footedness and on-the-ball technique bespeaking his athletic precocity.

Chelsea have been left brooding over their talent’s departure, but then Liverpool simply acted, pounced upon a gem that had been loosed by the upheaval and bloated nature of the Cobham Academy.

For Ngumoha’s part, he was enticed by the pathway to Anfield’s senior stage, watching as ‘Klopp’s kids’ achieved such noteworthy success last term, namely with Quansah, Bradley and Danns announcing themselves.

Given that he’s only a few months into his 16th year, Ngumoha has eclipsed expectations, taking steady steps onto the scene and leaving Premier League legends such as John Terry saying: “This boy is and will be a top, top player.”

There’s an easiness to his play that few youngsters showcase on the field. He plays as if in a park, carefree and devastating with every move, flick, trick. You need only look at the short clip below to get a taste.

Ngmoha leaves you wanting more. An entertainer with a predatory sense that suggests he is destined for greatness – with care, patience, and tempered expectations, of course.

However, there’s a ball-carrying quality that points toward Ngumoha being Liverpool’s next version of Sadio Mane. There’s plenty of work to be done before that peak is reached, but the signs are promising.

Rio Ngumoha could be Slot’s own Sadio Mane

Klopp once called Mane a “world-class” forward, and it’s a sentiment that is echoed by all of a Liverpool persuasion. Mohamed Salah might be one of the best players in the world right now, but when he flanked Roberto Firmino with his Senegal partner, they made a whole that was far greater than the sum of its parts.

Mane, 32, was a talisman throughout the glory days of Klopp’s reign, so incredible on the flank as he combined deadly finishing with artful cunning and technical brilliance.

Ngumoha hasn’t quite nailed down his best position as he continues to cut his teeth at youth level but he does start on the left with the greatest regularity, and he could be Mane’s natural successor if he sharpens a goalscoring edge over the coming years.

The youngster’s burgeoning reputation could even see him take Luis Diaz’s place in the coming years, with the Colombian one of the finest players in the Premier League but turns 28 in a few weeks and appears to be at an impasse vis-a-vis contract talks.

His deal expires in 2027 and Liverpool, while satisfied that they are getting bang for their buck with the Colombian, will be aware that he is settled in the heart of his prime and would garner a pretty penny indeed if he were to pick up a suitor – Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain have been known admirers in 2024.

While it would be ridiculous to hurl the 16-year-old Ngumoha into the deep end, Cody Gakpo is thriving at present and Diogo Jota also brings an exciting take to the left wing position.

There’s room in the first team for Nguomha. After all, he’s already received a taste of the senior stage under Slot’s management, placed on the bench against Southampton in the Carabao Cup, though he didn’t grace the grass.

In any case, every indication suggests that Liverpool have an incredible talent on their hands and could reap the lucrative rewards of the incisive swipe this summer. Talk of him being Mane’s successor might be a little premature, admittedly, but Slot’s Liverpool offer a platform as good as any for a top-class youngster looking to make their name.