Liverpool respond after Bayern Munich ‘knock on the door’ for ‘main target’
Liverpool have made it clear to Bayern Munich that they will not sell Rio Ngumoha in the summer transfer window, according to a German source.
Earlier this month, it emerged that Bayern want(ed) to sign Ngumoha this summer and were in contact for the England international winger.
The Athletic journalist David Ornstein reported that Bayern manager Vincent Kompany personally wants to sign the teenager.
Bayern want to sign a new left-winger and have made Ngumoha ‘their main target’.
Sky Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg even claimed that Ngumoha had reached a full verbal agreement with Bayern.
Plettenberg wrote on X at 5:11pm on June 5: “EXCLUSIVE DETAILS | Rio Ngumoha was the secret candidate FC Bayern had been negotiating with for weeks.
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“Bayern had reached a full verbal agreement with Ngumoha and his camp on Tuesday, 26 May. #LFC
“Absolute priority as a backup to Luis Díaz alongside the pursuit of Anthony Gordon.
“However, the deal collapsed yesterday, Thursday, for the time being.
“It remains to be seen whether club-to-club agreements can be reached for Brown/Saibari.
“Vincent Kompany approved the Ngumoha deal after personal talks with the 17 y/o Liverpool gem. @SkySportDE”
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Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano subsequently reported that Liverpool have no plans to sell Ngumoha.
Romano wrote on X at 6:31pm on June 5: “Liverpool stance on Rio Ngumoha, not just today but for months: untouchable.
“Seen as crucial part of the project and no chance for his exit, #LFC view is clear.”
Rio Ngumoha from Liverpool to Bayern Munich ‘won’t happen’
While it has now been well-established that Liverpool will not sell the 17-year-old winger this summer, German journalist Christian Falk has revealed how the Reds reacted when Bayern came knocking for the England international winger.
Falk has written on his website, CFBayernInsider: “It is TRUE: Bayern Munich were concretely interested in Rio Ngumoha.
“There were rumours that his brother, who is involved in his career around transfers, was at Säbener Straße for talks and signalled that the winger would be interested in going to Bayern Munich, and it would be no issue in sorting out contract details and the salary.
“FC Bayern had a very clear signal when they knocked on the door at Liverpool that there would be no time or reason for talks; there would be no negotiations.
“They’re so convinced about the player and his potential that they signalled he wouldn’t be sold. It won’t happen.”
There were frustrations among some fans last season that then Liverpool manager Arne Slot did not use Ngumoha much.
The teenager started just five times in the Premier League last season and played only 63 minutes in the Champions.
What Arne Slot said about Rio Ngumoha
Slot, though, did rate Ngumoha highly and said about him in April after the winger scored against Fulham, as quoted in ESPN: “He’s not only the long-term future but also the near future.
“I said one or two months ago his playing time would increase because he’s got stronger and stronger.
“He’s shown that it wasn’t only a nice trick but there was more and more end product to what he did, and more power, which is needed if you play against the best defenders in the world.
“I don’t think anyone is surprised he scored his first [Anfield] goal.”
Slot, who has been replaced by Andoni Iraola as the Liverpool head coach, noted the rare quality that Ngumoha has.
The Dutchman enthused: “He has such a special quality you don’t see very often in football anymore, dominating the one-v-one situations.
“That’s what he did when he scored his goal, making the ball free by twisting and turning and then hitting it in like a Mo Salah finish.
“It’s pleasing to see that he did what we know makes him special.”
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