Andoni Iraola has already shown Liverpool's Rio Ngumoha plan after Bayern Munich links

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Iraola has already shown Liverpool's Ngumoha plan after Bayern Munich linksAndoni Iraola didn't need Jude Bellingham to tell him the type of talent he's inheriting in Rio Ngumoha.The new Liverpool boss saw Ngumoha up close when he came on as a 74th minute substitute in Bournemouth's 3-2 win over the Reds in January, with the teenager providing some much needed dynamism and winning the free-kick from which Dominik Szoboszlai equalised before the Reds' somewhat inevitable late concession of a winner.That 95th minute goal from Amine Adli had Iraola charging around on the touchline in celebration as Arne Slot held his head in his hands, the two fused together in a moment that summed up just why one has now replaced the other.And if Iraola was in need of evidence that he is now operating on a different football plain having become Liverpool's 22nd full-time manager/head coach, then Ngumoha has provided it in spades in the past few days.First came the news that Bayern Munich are exploring a move the the 17-year-old, with the transfer interest as cheeky as it is unwanted.Are the German giants plotting revenge after missing out on Florian Wirtz last summer? That is unknown, but what is clear is that the Reds have no desire to lose Ngumoha and are instead determined to strengthen their attack, not weaken it.The teenager is also known to be happy at Liverpool - calling the Reds "the biggest club in the world" in his post-match interview after scoring against Fulham in April - and will be delighted with the progress he has made in his whirlwind first season as a professional.That progress has landed him in the England squad, with his senior international debut coming in Saturday's 1-0 win over New Zealand in Tampa as the Three Lions warmed up for the World Cup.Bellingham presented Ngumoha with his first cap after the game, congratulating the teenager and saying: "I think we all enjoyed watching it (his performance), and obviously you're going to have a really bright future at your club and hopefully with us as well."Iraola is now part of that future, and everything suggests that the Spanish boss will build on Slot's disciplined handling of Ngumoha in his maiden campaign by creating enough opportunities for him to flourish.Although there were often many calls for Ngumoha to feature more, the winger made 29 appearances for the Reds in 2025/26, including starting the final three matches.Not since a young Raheem Sterling have Liverpool been as reliant on a teenager, but down on the south coast Iraola was showing that he too is happy to put faith in youth.Few had heard of Eli Junior Kroupi when he made his Premier League debut as a late substitute on the opening night of the season at Anfield, where late goals from Federico Chiesa and Mohamed Salah earned the Reds a 4-2 win over Iraola's side.It wasn't long before time on the bench became a thing of the past for Kroupi, and the teenager scored 13 goals in his debut campaign English football - the most ever by a teenager in the Premier League, surpassing a record jointly held by Robbie Fowler and Robbie Keane.The Frenchman, who won't turn 20 until later this month, was joined by another teenager in January in the form of Brazilian winger Rayan, who immediately got Cherries fans off their feet with his direct running and eye for goal.Rayan struck five times in his 15 Premier League appearances, including in three successive matches against Leeds, Crystal Palace and Fulham, matching a feat achieved by Kroupi earlier in the campaign, and making Iraola's Bournemouth the only side in Premier League history to have two teenagers score in the three successive games in the same season.Rayan's form has got him into the Brazil squad for the World Cup, an incredible achievement for a player who turns 20 in August and has already attracted transfer interest from elsewhere.Both he and Kroupi already appear destined to become additions to the Bournemouth production line which has shipped off the likes of Dean Huijsen, Iliya Zabarnyi, Antoine Semenyo, Milos Kerkez and now Iraola to Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City and Liverpool respectively.The Reds have no desire to see Ngumoha depart for a European giant as well, and nor will Iraola want to see him go.He is a manager who has already shown that if you're good enough you're old enough, and as Bellingham and the whole England now know, Ngumoha is certainly that.FOLLOW OUR LIVERPOOL FC FACEBOOK PAGE!

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