Jamie Carragher is right, Liverpool have an 'amazing' player on their hands
Jamie Carragher is right to urge Liverpool to get Rio Ngumoha's contract signed and sealed as soon as possible as other top clubs circle for his services.
Arsenal are among the top clubs keen on Ngumoha following his breakthrough over the last 14 months at Liverpool.
He has emerged as one of the brightest young attacking prospects in the world, making 29 appearances for the club last season.
Andoni Iraola has championed the 18-year-old even further at the start of this campaign, with five starts in their 11 competitive outings so far.
Ngumoha has also made waves on the international scene and was given his competitive England debut by Thomas Tuchel last month.
The teen starlet shone in the Reds' win over Villarreal in midweek, with club legend Carragher rightly calling on their board to get his contract situation sorted ASAP before he is prised away from Merseyside.
Liverpool must focus on Rio Ngumoha situation as Jamie Carragher has his say
Sources have revealed to Football Insider that Liverpool are working hard to offer Ngumoha a new contract and get an agreement in place in the face of serious interest from top sides.
There is some concern that Mikel Arteta's willingness to utilise young stars could tempt the tricky winger to Arsenal in the next year, with his current Reds deal set to expire in 2028.
He became the youngest player on record since 2008 to complete more than five dribbles (7), have 10+ touches in the opposition box (12) and register an assist (2) in a Champions League match against Villarreal on Tuesday, while also becoming the youngest player to create a UCL goal for the Reds.
Carragher took to CBS Sports to offer his verdict on the teen star's situation at Anfield after the clash, saying: "He was amazing. He is a future superstar and is in the England squad already. He hasn't yet signed a new contract at Liverpool, so we need to get that sorted. I hope he signs. He is the best winger Liverpool have got right now."
It is tough to argue with such an assessment of Ngumoha's qualities, as even at this early stage in his career, he is already proving to be a real difference-maker for Liverpool.
His new Reds contract simply has to be finalised in the coming weeks, with clubs continuing to eye the chance to capitalise on stalling talks to make him theirs for the foreseeable future.
What has Ngumoha said about contract talks with Liverpool?
Liverpool have been stung in an eerily similar situation before, with another tricky, young English winger in Raheem Sterling leaving the club for Man City in 2015 after turning down a new deal.
Ngumoha is yet to show signs of frustration with his development at Anfield, but things can change quickly, and other clubs may be able to offer a better guarantee of the top prizes for both the short and long-term.
The teenager addressed his situation after Liverpool beat Brentford last weekend, saying: “It’s all with my agent now. I think it is all going well. I am not too sure. I just let the football do the talking...I enjoy playing and all of that is in the back of my mind."