Rio Ngumoha just sent clear Liverpool message to Andoni Iraola amid Bayern Munich links
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Rio Ngumoha lit up England's World Cup warm-up against New Zealand on Saturday with a classy second half showingRio Ngumoha's lively performance for England on Saturday night has given new Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola much to ponder. While not in Thomas Tuchel's squad for the tournament, the Liverpool winger was brought in for England's final two friendlies before the competition gets underway.FOLLOW OUR LIVERPOOL FC FACEBOOK PAGE!
The teenager's stunning performance on Saturday has sent the head coach a message that he simply cannot ignore: one of the Basque's main priorities must be to keep Ngumoha at the club and maintain his integration into the first-team set-up next season.According to The Athletic, the Bundesliga giants have identified Ngumoha as their number one target as they look to sign a new left winger to provide back-up to Luis Diaz, whom they signed from the Reds last summer.The report goes on to say that Bayern are yet to make a formal approach, although Ngumoha is said to be keeping informed of the German club's interest in his signature. Iraola will have seen a glimpse of the youngster's ability on Saturday evening, with the teenager's unpredictable and aggressive second half showing serving as reminder to his new boss that he is a key part of Liverpool's future.The nation's media waxed lyrical about his England debut.
"I think we all enjoyed watching it, and obviously, you're going to have a really bright future at your club and hopefully with us as well."While the lure of Bayern is great no doubt, Ngumoha has already made his feelings for the Reds clear.In April, he told Sky Sports: "Liverpool, for me, is the biggest club in the world. So, I've got to keep working hard and keep pushing on and just go again."Knowing that the winger holds Liverpool in such high esteem should ease any concerns over Bayern's reported interest, but with his contract set to expire in the summer of 2028 and Iraola, and the decision makers at the club, must ensure the youngster sees his long-term future at L4.His first performance in an England shirt showed just what a generational talent Ngumoha could be, and new Reds boss Iraola must recognise it.