Liverpool reaction to shock Rio Ngumoha interest spoke volumes as Andoni Iraola plan clear

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Bayern Munich have emerged as an interested party for Rio Ngumoha - but Liverpool will be in no mood to do businessIt seems the summer of 2026 is ripe for pie-in-the-sky speculation regarding Liverpool, Bayern Munich and extremely talented wingers.Ever since Mohamed Salah announced his intention to leave Liverpool at the end of the season in March, many Reds fans had been putting forward the case for Michael Olise to be the great Egyptian's Anfield successor.Olise has become a mainstay of the Bayern side since he moved from Crystal Palace in 2024 and after a particularly superlative campaign, where he contributed 22 goals and 31 assists across all competitions, he arrives at the World Cup with France ready to really move into the elite bracket of forwards.Such has been Olise's rise in Bavaria, in fact, that the former Reading attacker was reportedly earmarked as the next Galactico of Florentino Perez's Real Madrid project, with the los Blancos president 'promising' a move for the Bayern star if he was to be successful in their recent election race.Liverpool have been aware of Olise's talents for years, having watched on during their checks on Harvey Elliott when both were vying for the Championship's young player of the year award five years ago during the Reds midfielder's loan spell at Blackburn Rovers.However, any suggestion Liverpool would act on long-standing admiration after Salah's surprise decision was quickly rebuffed by those inside Anfield.The belief was that Olise was happy, settled and not for sale at one of the European powerhouses.But if silly season was never really given a chance to begin where the Frenchman to Liverpool was concerned, it seems to have gone in reverse with the news that Bayern were exploring a deal for Rio Ngumoha last week.The 17-year-old has enjoyed something of a meteoric rise at the Reds this past season, going from an academy hopeful to a first-team regular on the cusp of England's World Cup squad.A senior debut for the Three Lions last week against New Zealand ended with the player of the match award and a personal congratulation from Jude Bellingham, who presented Ngumoha with the cap before giving a speech in front of the rest of their England colleagues.“Congratulations on an amazing debut," Bellingham told Ngumoha. It’s a pleasure to give it to you and I know there’ll be many more.

So congratulations."It's two years this summer since Ngumoha and his family decided to leave Chelsea in search of a quicker path to first-team football in the Premier League, which was something Liverpool were able to offer. He signed his first professional contract in September, just days after his 17th birthday and is therefore tied down for the remainder of his teenage years."Potentially elite" is how he was described to the ECHO prior to official confirmation of his move and he has justified those words in double-quick time, rising to the fringes of the England squad who are now on the eve of a World Cup.The Reds, it's understood, had not been contacted by Bayern Munich as of last week and have no plans to enter into dialogue over a player they want to keep for the long term.There was even some bemusement inside the club when they learned of Bayern's interest.Liverpool, in fact, are planning to strengthen in those wide areas this summer, with another flying teenager, Yan Diomande of RB Leipzig, wanted as part of a move towards a new era under Andoni Iraola.

Selling Ngumoha is not part of that long-term plan.Not 18 until August, the Reds feel he is perfectly poised to go and realise his vast potential under a manager who has an exceptional record for improving a developing young forwards.Under Iraola's watch, Eli Junior Kroupi took a Premier League record that had previously been shared by Robbie Keane and Robbie Fowler by scoring 13 times as a teenager last time out.And such has been Rayan's progress at Bournemouth that the 19-year-old winger has played himself into the Brazil squad for the World Cup.Iraola, clearly, has the kind of coaching acumen to get more from talented young attackers.So why would Ngumoha want to go anywhere right now?FOLLOW OUR LIVERPOOL FC FACEBOOK PAGE! All the latest news and analysis from Anfield on the Liverpool Echo's dedicated LFC Facebook page