Rio Ngumoha scored the winning goal as Liverpool beat Wrexham in a pre-season friendly in New York, while also offering a glimpse of how he could fit alongside transfer target Bradley Barcola.
Positional switch opens up possibilities
The 17-year-old came off the bench and netted a deflected winner, maintaining Liverpool's perfect pre-season record. Notably, Ngumoha was deployed on the right wing, having previously played almost exclusively on the left. This shift could allow him to coexist with Barcola, another left-sided forward, rather than competing for the same spot.
Liverpool are reportedly ready to step up their pursuit of Barcola, with Paris Saint-Germain demanding around £140m. Iraola, if he secures the deal, would need a return on that investment, but Ngumoha's ability to play on the right offers a solution where both can feature on either side of a striker.
Ngumoha praises Iraola
The teenager spoke highly of his new manager: “The manager has been very good, getting his points across really well. He’s been top and all the coaching staff have been very good as well.”
Iraola on team progress
Iraola acknowledged his side still has work to do to fully implement his style. “I think we’re still not there. We are sometimes arriving late, but I think it’s a step forward, since especially the first half against Sunderland. That is more of a reference than the second half. Slowly, slowly I hope every game we are closer and closer. We start to add new bodies, because now we are playing with a lot of the young players. Slowly, slowly we have to add the senior players that are starting to train with us, so we can arrive to the beginning of the season in a good place.”
