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Liverpool have plenty of top talent at their disposal but there could be some youngsters who throw up a surprise or two.

The Reds are gearing up to defend their Premier League title and based on their transfer business this summer, they have given themselves the best chance to achieve this.

In fact, many people believe that it has been so good that they see no world in which they do not go back-to-back, with even Rio Ferdinand backing Liverpool to win it again.

His former Manchester United teammate Wayne Rooney also thinks the same, and he has also predicted that one of the Reds’ young players will have a breakout season and explode on the biggest of stages.

Photo by Etsuo Hara/Getty Images

Pre-season is a time for the manager to assess his options and work out which players he wants to give minutes to next season, with youngsters often the most keen to impress.

And, this summer has seen many of Liverpool’s kids shine, none more so than 16-year-old Rio Ngumoha, with the winger taking every chance he has got so far.

Overhyping a player of his age is something people have to be very careful about, but he has just been that good that it is hard not to, with even Rooney agreeing.

The former Everton player picked Ngumoha as his breakout star across the whole Premier League, high praise for the young man from a player who has been in his position before.

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Whether the Englishman will get chances next season is still very much up in the air, but at this point in time, it would seem strange if he didn’t.

Cody Gakpo will likely be the starting left winger but he cannot play every game due to the sheer amount of matches Liverpool must play, suggesting Ngumoha could get some minutes here and there.

With the new season so close, predictions are the main talking point, and as well as thinking Ngumoha will be the breakout star, Rooney believes that Jeremie Frimpong is the most important signing of the summer.

He picked the Liverpool new boy ahead of any signing any other team has made, as well as over £116m man Florian Wirtz, hence why it is such a bold shout.

The Dutchman will likely start against Bournemouth on Friday due to the injury to Conor Bradley, so he will get a chance to prove himself from the off, although the signs in pre-season are all promising.

Of course, whether Rooney is right or not cannot be proven until a long time from now, but it is something worth keeping an eye on as the season develops at the very least.


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