Rio Ngumoha has said his Liverpool contract situation is in the hands of his agent, as the teenager continues to adapt to a new role on the right wing. Speaking after Saturday's 2-1 Premier League win at Brentford, the 18-year-old played down any concerns over his future at Anfield.
Ngumoha signed his first professional deal in September 2025, weeks after his 17th birthday, keeping him at the club until 2028. However, he was expected to agree more lucrative terms in line with his rise to the first team after turning 18 on August 29. Between that initial deal and his 18th birthday, the winger went from rookie to full England international, making his debut in a friendly against New Zealand before the World Cup in June, following 29 senior appearances in a breakout season.
Contract talks and new role
Bayern Munich were tentatively linked with Ngumoha during the summer transfer window, and further international recognition has raised his profile. Last month, he became the third youngest competitive debutant for England, behind only Jude Bellingham and Wayne Rooney. Despite expectations of a new deal after his 18th birthday, terms have not yet been extended.
"To be fair, that is all with my agent now," Ngumoha said. "I think it is all going well. I am not too sure. I just let the football do the talking at the end of the day. So I enjoy playing and all of that stuff about contracts is in the back of my mind really. I just play for the club, play for Liverpool and hopefully I can carry on doing well."
Ngumoha made his name operating off the left wing, but Liverpool's decision to sign Bradley Barcola from Paris Saint-Germain for £123m has increased competition. Head coach Andoni Iraola has often fielded the teenager on the right side, an experiment that began in a 1-0 friendly win over Wrexham at New York's Yankee Stadium in July, when he scored the only goal.
Adapting to the right wing
"Yeah, I definitely had to [adapt after Barcola signed]," Ngumoha said. "The good thing about all of us is we can all play on both the left and the right side. So I think, like I say, it is always healthy competition at this club at the end of the day, so I think if we're all playing well then no-one can be disappointed at the end of the day."
"I think [playing on the right] gives me a bit unpredictability, so if teams see me playing, they might think I am on the left but I can offer something different on the right," he added. "Playing on the right was good for England but also watching the likes of Anthony Gordon, Bukayo Saka - they are top, top wingers. Training with them every day and just seeing what they do, that can really help me."
Iraola spoke on Thursday about Liverpool's efforts to refine Ngumoha's game, and the forward said he is thankful for the opportunities given by the head coach. "I think obviously he just wants me to take on the player in the one-v-one duels," Ngumoha said. "He wants me to be a threatening player. But off the ball, he just wants me to help the team however I can."
Impact against Brentford
Goals from Victor Munoz and Alexander Isak turned the game around for Liverpool after Yehor Yarmoliuk was sent off for headbutting Jeremy Jacquet following Keane Lewis-Potter's opener. Ngumoha played an important part in breaking down the 10 men and was fouled by Vitaly Janelt for a second bookable offence in stoppage time as Brentford finished with nine men.
"I think I already knew what I needed to do when I came on and that was to impact the game on both sides of the pitch and thankfully I did that," said Ngumoha. "I think it's no surprise that we are winning games because we have been training hard and working well. The mentality is stronger than ever, better than ever. So we took one step back (against Manchester City) and two steps forward, so I think now we have just got to focus on the Champions League game (against Villarreal on Tuesday)."
