Arne Slot is about to make the Rio Ngumoha decision Liverpool fans are begging for

Liverpool’s 2025-26 campaign has fallen short of the standards set during last season’s title-winning run, but a 17-year-old spark off the bench is forcing manager Arne Slot to reconsider his attacking rotation. Teenage winger Rio Ngumoha, whose recent cameos have already shifted the momentum of matches, is now poised for an expanded role in the run-in, according to a Sunday Times report circulated by Anfield Sector.

Slot, who lifted the Premier League trophy in his first year at the helm, has watched his side stumble through the autumn and winter, slipping out of early contention and only now clawing back toward the Champions League places. Despite a summer outlay that brought Hugo Ekitike, Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz and others to Merseyside, Liverpool have struggled for consistent wide threat. Mohamed Salah’s once-lethal one-on-one proficiency has waned, while Cody Gakpo’s conversion to left winger after Luis Díaz’s departure has yet to ignite. Federico Chiesa, frozen out of match-day squads for tactical reasons, has offered no respite.

Enter Ngumoha. The academy graduate’s introduction against Nottingham Forest last weekend showcased the very qualities Slot’s attack currently lacks: fearless dribbling, directness and an ability to beat a defender in isolation. Within minutes of stepping onto the pitch, the teenager altered the rhythm of the contest, helping to secure a narrow victory that kept top-four hopes alive.

Sources close to the manager say Slot has run out of reasons to keep the winger on the margins. Planning sessions for the remaining fixtures now include specific packages designed to maximise Ngumoha’s explosiveness, with the staff convinced his presence can propel a late-season surge. Liverpool supporters, long vocal on social media and in the stands about giving youth a chance, have clamoured for both Ngumoha and Chiesa to see the field; the club’s hierarchy appears ready to answer at least half of that plea.

Whether the 17-year-old is handed his first Premier League start or continues to terrorise tiring defences as a super-sub, the trajectory is clear: Ngumoha’s moment has arrived, and Slot is ready to oblige a fanbase desperate for a new wide hero.