The rivalry between Liverpool and Chelsea has taken another twisted turn after the Reds reportedly hijacked “the best youngster in England,” Rio Ngumoha, from the Blues. As both clubs are on the verge of taking the matter to court, fans are asking who Rio Ngumoha is and why these two big Premier League clubs are fighting over him. According to many football pundits, Rio Ngumoha is the most promising young player in England.
He is a 16-year-old footballer who can play as both a midfielder and a winger. The former Chelsea youth academy player recently joined Liverpool in a sensational transfer move, raising quite a few eyebrows in English football, given the process of the deal, which has left Chelsea deeply dissatisfied.
Rio Ngumoha’s Bio
| Full Name | Rio Bass Ray Ngumoha Adigun |
| Gender | Male |
| Date of Birth | 29th August, 2008 |
| Age | 16 |
| Nationality | English, Nigerian |
| Place of Birth | England |
| Height | 174 cm |
| Current Team | Liverpool |
| Position | Left winger |
| Jersey number | 11 |
| Debut | September 4, 2024 (Liverpool) |
| Net worth | £185,000 |
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Rio Ngumoha’s Net Worth & Salary
Rio Ngumoha is one of the biggest prospects in English football. Despite spending initial years of his career at Chelsea youth academy, the 16-year-old has declined a lucrative contract extension offer from the club. According to Lewis Steele from the Daily Mail, the Reds are going to pay Ngumoha a six-digit salary per year after breaking the wage structure of their youth academy to sign the player. The exact amount of the fee is yet to be revealed by the Premier League club. Currently, all the players who are plying their trades at Kirkby, are given £50,000 per year.
Meanwhile, the English U-18 attacker has an estimated net worth of £185,000, as of 2024, which will definitely witness a rapid hike by the end of 2025.
Rio Ngumoha and His Family
There is limited information about Rio Ngumoha’s parents and his family. The left-winger with Nigerian origin, has also kept his family affairs private, limiting his social media activities in this regard as well. It has been learned that his family is from Nigeria. Ngumoha was born in England and has dual citizenship in Nigeria and England. His parents are alive and live with him in the UK.
Rio Ngumoha’s Early Life
In the plethora of young talent in English football, Rio Ngumoha found himself in the youth setup of Chelsea at a tender age. He impressed the bosses of the Blues through a string of scintillating performances in the youth league. He began his football career as an attacking midfielder. His quick feet and dribbling skills terrified his own academy players.
Even the Chelsea legend John Terry, who hailed Rio Ngumoha as “the best young player in England”, said that the ball seems to be glued to his feet when he dribbles. However, there is no record of his early football career before he burst onto the scene at Chelsea.
Rio Ngumoha’s Career
Club career
According to Manchester Evening News, one of the best young English players, Rio Ngumoha, joined the Chelsea youth academy when he was just 10. From the very beginning, he started to excel on the watch of experienced coaches. Exquisite skills, pace, dribbling, clinical finish and composure – he has everything in his possession to become one of the best in the business.
After rampaging through the ranks of the Blues, there were talks of him being promoted to the senior team. Ngumoha made his U-21 debut for Chelsea when he was just 15 years old in 2023. The English wonderkid netted once and registered one assist in just nine games as a Blue.
When his quick feet and close control became a nightmare for opponents, Liverpool entered into the arena and began to keep a tab on the player. The English starlet was already considered “a generational talent” by the pundits. Chelsea felt the need to extend his contract amidst high transfer interests from the likes of Liverpool and Manchester United. But, Rio Ngumoha declined the extension request from the Blues and followed the footsteps of other young guns like Amara Nallo and Trey Nyoni to join the Reds.
After joining the U-18 team of Liverpool in September, 2024, Ngumoha announced his arrival in the best possible way as he produced an outrageous assist for his teammate Keyrol Figueroa in the Reds’ win against Bayer Leverkusen in the UEFA Youth League in November, 2024. In his eight appearances for Liverpool, Rio Ngumoha has already registered three assists to his name. Amidst the talks of him being fast-tracked through the ranks of young players, senior team boss Arne Slot has already called up the English starlet to train with the senior players.
| Club | Years | Apps | Goals | Assists |
| Chelsea U18 | 2023-24 | 9 | 1 | 1 |
| Liverpool U18 | 2024- present | 5 | 0 | 2 |
| Liverpool FC YL | Present | 3 | 0 | 1 |
International Career
Rio Ngumoha made his international debut for the England U-15 team on 12th February 2023 under Will Antwi and lit up the arena on debut by scoring two goals. Later, he was promoted to the u-17 side of the country and has appeared on three occasions so far.
| Team | Years | Apps | Goals |
| England U15 | 2023-24 | 1 | 2 |
| England U16 | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| England U18 | 2024 | 3 | 0 |
Records & Achievements
Rio Ngumoha has won plenty of awards in English football. But his most prestigious pick of the lot will definitely be the Premier League U16 Tournament Player of the Tournament award, which he received for his endless torrent of exceptional talent throughout the 2023-24 season.
Rio Ngumoha’s Injury News
Currently, there is no injury news concerning Rio Ngumoha. He recently played against Stoke City in the U18 Premier League. With him making headlines in the youth league, Liverpool coach Arne Slot has rewarded him with a senior team training session ahead of Aston Villa clash in the English top flight.
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FAQs
Q. How old is Rio Ngumoha?
Rio Ngumoha is just 16-year-old. He was born in 2008.
Q. Which club does Rio Ngumoha play for?
Rio Ngumoha plays for Liverpool club in the U-18 English Premier League.
Q. Which country was Rio Ngumoha born in?
Rio Ngumoha was born in England. However, his family is from Nigeria.