Mohamed Salah gone: Is Rio Ngumoha ready to become Liverpool’s new star?

Rio Ngumoha enters the new season with Liverpool facing a question that would have sounded premature only a year ago: can the teenage winger help fill the enormous void left by Mohamed Salah?

The 18-year-old has already rewritten parts of Liverpool’s record books and announced himself as one of England’s most exciting young attackers. With Salah gone, however, Ngumoha’s role could shift from promising understudy to genuine first-team contributor.

His ability to beat defenders is already evident. The next challenge is turning that flair into consistent goals, assists and decisive moments.

Born in London in August 2008, Ngumoha joined Chelsea’s academy at eight before making a controversial move to Liverpool in September 2024. The transfer compensation eventually had to be settled by an independent tribunal.

Liverpool’s gamble quickly began to look justified.

In August 2025, Ngumoha became the club’s youngest goalscorer when he came off the bench to score the winner in a 3-2 victory at Newcastle. In April, he became the youngest player to score in a competitive match at Anfield against Fulham.

He ended the campaign with two goals and an assist from five starts and 14 substitute appearances.

His progress was not restricted to club football. Ngumoha made his England debut under Thomas Tuchel against New Zealand at just 17, further underlining his remarkable trajectory.

Now, with Salah no longer occupying the right flank, the teenager has a chance to take another major step.

Iraola could unlock new dimension

New Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola has already experimented with Ngumoha on the right during pre-season and the opening stages of the campaign, despite the winger naturally favouring the left.

That positional switch could prove crucial.

Ngumoha, whose parents are of Nigerian and Guadeloupean descent, prefers cutting inside from the left onto his stronger right foot. But Iraola’s demanding system requires his wide players to operate across the pitch, attack space quickly and contribute aggressively when possession is lost.

That makes Ngumoha’s versatility particularly valuable.

His greatest weapon remains his one-on-one ability. Stepovers, sharp changes of direction, explosive acceleration and a low centre of gravity allow him to escape defenders without relying on physical strength.

At around 170 centimetres tall, aerial football is unlikely to become a major part of his game. But his ground-based explosiveness makes him difficult to contain.

Among attacking players under 21, he recorded a 53.2 per cent success rate in duels, winning an average of 7.1 per 90 minutes.

His dribbling numbers are even more striking.

Ngumoha completed 64 per cent of his attempted dribbles, averaging 4.55 successful take-ons per match. He also led his age group in progressive carries, recording 12.94 per 90 minutes, while averaging 7.82 touches inside the opposition box.

Those figures underline a player who does not simply carry the ball for possession. He wants to hurt defenders.

Flair must become end product

That, however, is where the biggest question surrounding Ngumoha begins.

Former Liverpool winger John Barnes has stressed that beating an opponent is only part of the job. After creating the advantage, Ngumoha must consistently produce the decisive action — a goal, assist, key pass or chance.

Last season, he frequently found himself in shooting positions. He averaged just 40.9 minutes per shot and 59.5 minutes per shot from inside the box.

The sample remains small, but the numbers indicate a willingness to attack dangerous areas.

His decision-making is still developing. Ngumoha can sometimes attempt one dribble too many when a simple pass could release a teammate into a better position.

That will become increasingly important under Iraola.

Liverpool’s new approach demands quick transitions, intense pressing and coordinated movement. Ngumoha’s individual brilliance can be devastating, but combining it with intelligent movement from teammates and overlapping full-backs would make him considerably more difficult to defend.

The old Liverpool partnership between Sadio Mane and Andy Robertson offers a useful blueprint. Mane’s individual quality was complemented by Robertson’s runs, creating uncertainty for defenders.

Ngumoha will need to learn the same balance between individual expression and collective play.

Confidence is his biggest weapon

For all the tactical and technical questions, Ngumoha possesses an important quality that cannot easily be coached: fearlessness.

He repeatedly takes on defenders, even after an initial attempt fails. His first Premier League appearance offered a glimpse of that mentality. His first dribble did not succeed. Rather than retreating into safety, he tried again — and eventually scored the match-winning goal.

Neymar is his footballing idol, and Ngumoha has spoken about wanting to entertain supporters.

“Play as if there is no pressure,” he has said of his approach.

That confidence was cultivated from childhood, with his older brother reportedly training him intensely and instilling a “never give up” mentality.

Yet the Premier League will test more than his courage. It will test his ability to remain disciplined when opponents learn his strengths, when his form dips and when opportunities become harder to find.

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has already encouraged him to enjoy football while continuing to work hard and remain grounded.

Liverpool have no reason to sell

For now, a departure from Anfield appears unlikely.

Bayern Munich reportedly enquired about Ngumoha’s situation in June 2026, but Liverpool made clear that they regarded the youngster as an important part of their plans and were not prepared to sell.

The immediate challenge is therefore not finding a new club but establishing himself at Liverpool.

If Ngumoha can add efficiency to his dribbling, sharpen his final decision and adapt to Iraola’s demands on either flank, the opportunities should follow.

The loss of Salah leaves an enormous creative and scoring burden at Liverpool. Ngumoha cannot simply be expected to reproduce what the Egyptian superstar delivered for years.

But he does not need to be Salah to become a major asset.

He needs to become Rio Ngumoha — an explosive, fearless winger capable of turning his extraordinary raw talent into sustained production.

At 18, the ceiling remains remarkably high. The next step is proving that his dazzling flashes can become a regular feature at Anfield.