Liverpool transfers: Rio Ngumoha deal may go down as best of Arne Slot's era

Liverpool don’t get nearly enough credit for turning their academy into a destination spot for England’s brightest talents. 

Whereas the first team might struggle to woo their top targets every year (Aurelien Tchouameni, Jude Bellingham and now Lenny Yoro), the academy has no such issues. 

It could well be because money isn’t the motivating factor at that level. Instead, players focus on their development. They want to be part of the best project. They want to give themselves the best chance of progressing their careers and this is one of the reasons why the Reds have really come into their own over recent years in the academy market. 

The Merseyside club have made a big effort to show youngsters that a move to Anfield is the perfect pathway to play first-team football at the highest level. Whereas rival clubs often look to the transfer market for solutions, Jurgen Klopp would regularly look internally. 

It’s why the likes of Conor Bradley, Jarell Quansah, Bobby Clark, James McConnell, Kaide Gordon, Ben Doak, Jayden Danns, Lewis Koumas and Stefan Bajcetic have all been given opportunities over the past 18 months or so. 

Curtis Jones is now a first-team player with the Reds, as is Harvey Elliott. Trent Alexander-Arnold, despite being just 25, has racked up over 300 appearances for his boyhood club. 

Liverpool keep their word to young talents

Trey Nyoni signed from Leicester City last summer and after impressing for the under-18s, he made his debut for the under-21 side before becoming the youngest-ever Liverpool player to appear in the FA Cup when he replaced Elliott in the win over Southampton aged just 16 years and 243 days.  

Amara Nallo joined last summer from West Ham United. Not long after arriving, the 16-year-old centre-back was turning out for the under-21 side. He was even catching the eye, with under-23 coach Barry Lewtas singing his praises back in November. 

“Listen, he is just 16, and I don’t think we’ve ever asked a lad that young to play at centre-back against senior opposition.”

A lot of clubs will promise the world in order to convince a wonderkid to sign for them. Very few will actually deliver on their promises though and that is why so many highly-promising careers fizzle out. All it takes is one wrong move. 

But with Liverpool actively going out of their way to keep to their word, it makes their project one of the most appealing to youngsters looking to make it at the top level. The Reds won’t offer the most money. They won’t make outlandish promises. They simply present a plan to these players, and their parents, showing the pathway to the first team. And all they have to do is reel off one of the many names listed above as proof of concept. 

Ayman and Ngumoha deals crucial

That is why Alvin Ayman and Rio Ngumoha are likely going to opt for a move to Merseyside this summer despite being courted by many top teams offering more money. And while, at surface level, deals for Ayman and Nguhoma might not seem like that big of a deal, Liverpool have signed plenty of ‘next big things’ over the years, it is all a little different now, isn’t it? 

The Reds are giving opportunities to these players and creating an environment for them to flourish. More importantly, there are plans in place for their development. Aaron Briggs, the man tasked with replacing Vitor Matos, will be the link between the academy and the first team. He should make the transition as seamless as possible. 

Furthermore, though, Liverpool aren’t spending outrageous money on these players. Even if they fail to develop as expected, the fact they will have played for the Reds and will be of a certain level, young and homegrown means they retain value. 

Manchester City have had great success over the past few years selling off academy products. So have Chelsea. It shouldn’t be viewed as a production line, as such, but these sorts of player sales are what support the first-team signings. If they can’t improve the first-team squad, they can help supplement the transfer pot which does then allow Richard Hughes and Arne Slot to bolster their options. 

It really is a win-win for the Reds. Who knows, in five years time we might look back at the Ngumoha deal as one of the signings of the Slot era.