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Chelsea at war with Liverpool over teenage sensation Rio Ngumoha - with the Blues hunting compensation for 16-year-old star
Aug 26 2025 13:42 · By Mike Keegan
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Chelsea remain at war with Liverpool over Rio Ngumoha – the teenage sensation who scored within seconds of making his Premier League debut last night.
Ngumoha, 16, became the fourth youngest scorer in Premier League history when he clinically swept in a stoppage-time winner to defeat Newcastle 3-2 at a seething St James’ Park.
The youngster headed to Merseyside in a highly-controversial switch last year which left Chelsea furious.
In November, Inside Sport revealed that outraged Stamford Bridge officials felt they had lost ‘a generational talent’ and that a tribunal had been called to set a fee for the wonderkid.
A decision, which will be made by a Premier League panel, remains elusive almost a year after he made the switch – and Chelsea will believe that Ngumoha’s dazzling debut may well strengthen their case for significant compensation.
The move passed the Premier League’s five-step process, although that did little to appease those in west London.
Chelsea remain at war with Liverpool over Rio Ngumoha – the teenage sensation who scored within seconds of making his Premier League debut last night
The youngster headed to Merseyside in a highly-controversial switch last year having previously been part of Chelsea's academy
Such was the anger at the time that Chelsea were understood to have banned Liverpool’s youth scouts from attending academy matches.
Ngumoha was named player of the tournament when Chelsea’s Under 16s were crowned national champions in 2023. He moved to Liverpool in September last year.
Reds manager Arne Slot turned to the teenager in the sixth minute of injury time and he was rewarded four minutes later.
The youngster coolly slotted in a Mohamed Salah cross following a crafty dummy by Dominik Szoboszlai.
Liverpool had been pegged back by 10-man Newcastle after taking a 2-0 lead.
Ngumoha turns 17 on Friday - and Liverpool paid around £4.3m to Fulham after taking Harvey Elliott from their academy four years ago in a case that also went to a tribunal.