Rio Ngumoha Responds to Arsenal Transfer Links

Liverpool winger Rio Ngumoha has played down talk of a move to Arsenal, saying his contract talks are in his agent's hands and he is focused on his football.

The 18-year-old is tied to Anfield until June 2028. Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig were reported to be watching him in the summer, but Liverpool blocked any exit, and Arsenal are now said to be scouting him. 

He was asked about his future after Liverpool's comeback win over Brentford. "To be fair, that is all with my agent now," he told reporters at the Gtech Community Stadium. "I think it is all going well. I am not too sure. I just let my football do the talking at the end of the day."

He added: "I enjoy playing, and all of that stuff is in the back of my mind really. I just play for the club, and hopefully I can carry on doing well."

Ngumoha broke through in January 2025 as the club's youngest-ever FA Cup debutant, in a win over Accrington Stanley. He has played in five of Liverpool's first seven league games this season under Andoni Iraola, and started cup games against Atletico Madrid, LASK and Tottenham.

The Chelsea academy graduate said he is happy to start or come off the bench. "Whether I start or come off the bench, I have the same mentality," he said. 

"I know the club are just trying to look after me. We have some of the best attackers in the world, so competing for places is not easy. It is all about healthy competition and we all just want to make the team win at the end of the day. So whatever minutes we get, we can't be sulking, we just have to go out and show what we can do."

With Mohamed Salah gone and Bradley Barcola and Victor Munoz arriving in the summer, Ngumoha has moved from the left wing to the right. 

"I am enjoying the challenge and to be able to play off both sides is important," he said. "Do I have a favourite position? No, not anymore. I am getting to grips with the right wing now, and I am liking it. It gives me a bit more unpredictability. I have been working hard on the training pitch."

He said Iraola has told him what he wants. "Andoni wants me to take on players in one-vs-one duels. He wants me to be threatening. Off the ball, he wants me to help the team however I can. I am enjoying working with him and enjoying improving."

His recent England call-up under Thomas Tuchel for the Nations League also helped. "I went away with England, and I was playing on the right, so I learned a lot there as well," he said. 

"Watching the likes of Anthony Gordon and Bukayo Saka. I took on board some of the stuff they told me, and it's really helpful."