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Liverpool have signed a “top player” in former Chelsea prodigy Rio Ngumoha, according to Blues legend John Terry.
The teenage winger officially completed his move to Anfield this week following a five-stage review process by the Premier League, having initially agreed a scholarship deal in July after deciding to leave Chelsea’s academy.
The move was seen as a coup for Liverpool, who secured the services of a player widely regarded as one of the most talented young prospects in English football.
It is a view clearly shared by long-serving former Chelsea captain Terry, who has been working in the club’s academy again since last summer after leaving his previous role as a coaching consultant in west London for a brief spell as assistant manager to Dean Smith at Leicester.
In response to a post from Fabrizio Romano about Liverpool’s deal for Ngumoha, Terry wrote on Instagram: “This boy is and will be a top player.”
Ngumoha confirmed his departure from Chelsea on social media earlier this week, writing: “Thank you for everything Chelsea Academy.” The Athletic reported that a tribunal would likely be needed to decide the final compensation amount Liverpool would owe Chelsea for Ngumoha, who has joined Marc Bridge-Wilkinson’s Under-18s side and has already trained with the Under-21s under Barry Lewtas.
“It’s a great introduction for Rio,” Lewtas told Liverpool’s official website after an Under-21 training session at Kirkby that involved both Ngumoha and Federico Chiesa, the club’s only senior signing this summer who is working on his fitness after joining Juventus on a cut-price deal with a view to making his debut after the international break.
“It’s a chance for him to get to know the U21 players and an opportunity to also train with the first team staff.
“Getting to know people when you first arrive is really helpful because it helps you settle in, it makes you more familiar and it gives you that foundation.
“Obviously, with Federico we have already done it several times. [where] we will bring in some boys, and that will give him the opportunity to develop his fitness and also prepare for the season.
On Chiesa’s training with Liverpool’s youth team, Lewtas said: “We’ve been coming here for a while and the first-team players, their level of professionalism is unbelievable, it really is.
“You can obviously see that by the quality of his career so far, that’s why he’s at one of the best clubs in the world. His professionalism and quality were really good.
“It obviously gives our boys a little bit of a chance to play against someone of that quality. [and] It’s a very good learning opportunity for them.
“I think whenever we get together with the first team, which is often, it’s always a good thing. It’s a change of scenery, but more importantly it allows us to get closer to the first team players and staff, which is important for the boys.”
