Rio Ngumoha makes decision on quitting Liverpool for lucrative Arsenal move

Liverpool are understood to have agreed a new contract to tie down Rio Ngumoha’s future for the long term after sources insisted the teenager firmly sees his future at Anfield, and with all talk that he could depart for Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal firmly put to bed.

The teenage star turned 18 on August 29, making him eligible to sign his first professional contract in football. Given that he has already racked up 35 appearances for Liverpool, including a last-ditch winner in August 2025 that earned him a place in the record books as the Reds’ youngest-ever scorer in club history.

As a result, talks over rewarding Ngumoha’s progress and tying his long-term future down at Anfield have been ongoing for some time as the Merseyside giants look to lock down one of their brightest academy talents in years.

Yet until the player officially puts pen to paper by penning a new deal, there is always that gnawing doubt in the back of the club’s mind, particularly as they controversially already lured the player to the north-west in a controversial deal from Chelsea in the summer of 2024.

Indeed, David Ornstein is among the reporters who have revealed Arsenal’s willingness to bring the player back down to the capital; an option that looks all the more appealing given Arteta’s current shortage of options on the left-wing role that Ngumoha prefers.

However, TEAMtalk broke the news on September 3 that Ngumoha has agreed a new contract in principle with Liverpool, with sources understanding the club are now rapidly accelerating towards an announcement that the highly-rated winger is putting pen to paper on fresh terms at Anfield.

And according to our transfer correspondent, Graeme Bailey, the 18-year-old is set to be rewarded with what’s described as a ‘significant improvement to his terms’, with the new agreement ‘designed to reflect his growing status and importance to Liverpool’.

That commitment has then backed up a fortnight later by Fabrizio Romano, who explained why he is convinced that Ngumoha’s future is Liverpool.

Now, in a fresh claim that a deal is close, another transfer reporter has revealed Ngumoha has made his final decision on staying at Anfield by committing to that new deal…

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Rio Ngumoha makes final decision on extending Liverpool contract

Described as a “future world beater” by the Daily Mail’s Lewis Steele, he has said the Reds are doubling down on their efforts to keep him by underlining how important he will be to their future plans.

And now, backing up our report from the start of the month, journalist Pete O’Rourke now says there is optimism from all parties that a full agreement will soon be announced.

“Obviously Liverpool are desperate to keep hold of Ngumoha; and the player himself, I understand, is happy at Liverpool as well and is set to get regular starts this season,” O’Rourke said on the Transfer Insider podcast.

“When you get top young players like this, they’re always going to attract interest from other clubs, but Liverpool are confident that his long-term future will be at Anfield… there is optimism on both sides that they can get this deal agreed.”

The player also has a huge champion in the form of Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola, who recently waxed lyrical about the teenager and insisted he fully deserved his England call-up for the upcoming Nations League fixtures.

Asked also about his former Bournemouth star Alex Scott also making Thomas Tuchel’s party, Iraola said last week: “Very happy for both.

“I think they both absolutely deserve it. They both also went to help the national team before the tournament, and I am sure they both did a good job. I can only speak so well about both.

“It’s very deserved; they are very ready, and I hope they both enjoy it.”

Despite all that, it was claimed last week that Arsenal had ‘hatched a plan’ to try and lure Ngumoha to Emirates Stadium and convince him to sign there.

That comes after the Gunners raided the Reds last week to sign a prolific teenage striker, who has become the sixth high-profile academy star to make the move.