Liverpool to pay more than first expected for completed transfer – Ornstein

Liverpool have now discovered exactly how much they will need to pay for Rio Ngumoha, with an independent tribunal settling the compensation owed to Chelsea.

The 17-year-old winger joined Liverpool from Chelsea’s academy in September 2024, and the two clubs were unable to agree a training compensation fee without external arbitration.

According to David Ornstein of The Athletic, Liverpool must pay an initial £2.8m, a figure that could rise to £6.8m once performance-related add-ons are included.

The ruling was made by the Professional Football Compensation Committee and is non-negotiable, although further bonuses will be triggered if Ngumoha reaches specific milestones.

Liverpool will also owe Chelsea 20% of any future profit should the winger be sold later in his career.

Why Liverpool believe Ngumoha is worth the fee

While the numbers may look high for a teenager, Liverpool clearly believe the long-term upside outweighs the short-term cost.

Rio Ngumoha has already made eight Premier League appearances this season, albeit all from the bench, totalling just 107 minutes.

Despite limited opportunities, the England youth international has already scored once, converting his only shot inside the box, giving him a 100% goal conversion rate in league action.

Those minutes have largely come in high-pressure situations, often when Liverpool are chasing games, a sign of the trust Arne Slot already places in the youngster.

That faith was echoed publicly last month when John Aldridge called for Ngumoha to be used more frequently, arguing that his unpredictability offers something Liverpool’s attack often lacks.

The former striker described the teenager as a player defenders struggle to prepare for, adding that if Ngumoha is good enough, he is old enough.

Liverpool managing minutes but planning ahead

Liverpool’s decision not to replace Luis Diaz earlier in the season was partly driven by a desire not to block Ngumoha’s pathway.

That context matters when assessing the compensation fee, because Liverpool are not paying for potential alone, but for a player already impacting senior matches.

Ngumoha’s most memorable moment so far remains his 100th-minute winner against Newcastle, a goal that demonstrated composure well beyond his years.

Liverpool’s under-21 coach Rob Page has also spoken glowingly about the winger, describing him as a special talent with an elite mentality and a constant desire to learn.

Page highlighted Ngumoha’s calmness in pressure moments and his humility off the pitch, traits Liverpool place enormous value on when managing young players.

From Liverpool’s perspective, the tribunal ruling simply formalises what they already believed.

The fee may climb higher than initially hoped, but if Ngumoha develops as expected, it will quickly look like a bargain.

For now, Liverpool appear content to manage his minutes carefully, knowing they have already secured a player who could define the next phase of their attack.

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