Glen Johnson believes it is a "must" for Liverpool to agree a new contract with Rio Ngumoha, amid interest from home and abroad in the teenage winger.
Ngumoha took another step in his burgeoning career when making a competitive debut for England during the latest round of UEFA Nations League games. The 18-year-old already has five appearances for Liverpool this season and took until January last term to reach the number of minutes he has accrued this time around.
Contract situation and interest
Ngumoha has less than two years remaining on the first professional contract he signed when turning 17 last August, with the Reds keen to reward him for his subsequent progress. But the wait for fresh terms to be finalised has increased concerns among supporters, with Arsenal known to be tracking the player while Bayern Munich were interested during the summer.
Johnson said of a new contract for Ngumoha: "It’s a must. Recently Liverpool have lost a lot of players, either for cheap or even for free. Everyone was talking about losing Mo (Salah), but this kid could be the next big thing. He looks fantastic."
"It’s good to see him doing it for England as well. Everything about him at the moment is positive. You need to keep that train moving, so he deserves a new contract."
Selection posers for Andoni Iraola
With both Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo injured, there is a strong chance Ngumoha could make only the seventh Premier League start of his career when leaders Manchester City visit Anfield on Sunday for their first game since being found guilty of 114 breaches of financial rules.
Reds boss Andoni Iraola has a number of selection posers, including at right-back where on-loan Ronald Araujo has edged ahead of the more attacking Jeremie Frimpong in the pecking order. Johnson said: "I probably would stick with him, he’s been pretty solid. Of course, you want and need to do a bit more going forward when you are Liverpool and looking to impress the fans, but for now, he’s the best option."
"You can’t ask players to do stuff they’re not good at. So I would rather, at the moment, when things are not so solid, have the defenders defend and build from the back."
Dominik Szoboszlai right-back role dismissed
Dominik Szoboszlai became a makeshift option at right-back under previous Liverpool boss Arne Slot last season and has already featured in the role for parts of games under Iraola this campaign. But, speaking to Live Football Tickets, Johnson said: "I don’t see him as an out-and-out full-back at all. He’s a very good footballer and capable of playing out of position to do a job for the team."
"In terms of the odd game, I’ve got no issues with him being there because I think he’s good enough. But I wouldn’t want to see him playing there all year, just purely because he’s so good in midfield. I think he’s their best midfielder. It would be a waste."
"I don’t think he’s that good as a full-back. They would definitely lose something if he played right-back, but obviously he’s a good option for the days when it’s called upon."
