On the day in which Mohamed Salah announced himself at Trabzonspor with a brace, the Egyptian’s former side Liverpool showcased that this new-look forward line is still finding its feet in his absence.
Much of the scrutiny following Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Newcastle United was centred around Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz, and rightly so, yet there remains intrigue regarding the situation on the flanks.
Indeed, the Reds’ biggest attacking threat arguably came from Cody Gakpo off the left, the Dutchman opening his account for the new League season despite ongoing links to both Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur.
On the opposite wing, the decision to persist with teenage sensation, Rio Ngumoha, in a right-wing role seemingly backfired, with Andoni Iraola left with plenty to ponder regarding the configuration of his attacking unit.
Ngumoha’s disappointing Newcastle display in numbers
Ngumoha, still only 17, returned to the scene of his breakout moment in a Liverpool shirt at the weekend, having memorably scored that last-gasp winner against the Magpies a year earlier.
The ex-Chelsea speedster had largely remained on the periphery thereafter under Arne Slot, yet with Salah out the door, he looks set to be a trusted part of Iraola’s squad.
The Spaniard’s willingness to put Ngumoha in from the start at St James’ Park is a credit both to him and to the teenager, yet the use of Ngumoha on the right flank didn’t do anyone any favours, it must be said.
Typically so lethal when cutting in off the left, the one-cap England international looked rather blunt in this new role, kept out of the game by the largely impressive Lewis Hall.
It took the introduction of new man Victor Munoz for Hall to finally be beaten, with Ngumoha unable to really find any joy up against his compatriot, before his withdrawal on the hour mark.
|
Ngumoha vs Munoz – @Newcastle |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Ngumoha |
Stat |
Munoz |
|
27 |
Minutes |
63 |
|
16 |
Touches |
21 |
|
2 |
Shots |
1 |
|
5/6 |
Passes |
10/13 |
|
0 |
Key passes |
0 |
|
5 |
Ball lost |
7 |
|
0/0 |
Succ. dribbles |
0/1 |
|
2/4 |
Succ. crosses |
1/2 |
|
5 |
Carries |
12 |
|
1/1 |
Ground duels won |
2/5 |
|
1 |
Fouls won |
1 |
In all, the teenager was restricted to a measly 21 touches, losing the ball on seven occasions, having also failed to complete a successful dribble on the day.
He only completed one cross, registered just a single shot and failed to provide a key pass, enduring a tough afternoon at the office, it must be said.
There’s no question that Ngumoha is a superstar in the making, but Sunday’s performance highlighted why a more proven option is needed on that right flank moving forward.
How Liverpool can finally replace Salah before the deadline
It’s no secret that Liverpool are intent on signing Paris Saint-Germain’s Bradley Barcola, although the Frenchman is likely to be a solution off the left.
An exit for Iraola’s current leading option on that side, Gakpo, is only set to be sanctioned if two new wingers enter the building, however, with Barcola and one other seemingly the goal.
By all accounts, that player might well be Brighton and Hove Albion’s Yankuba Minteh, with Fabrizio Romano – speaking on his YouTube channel – reporting that the Reds are still in talks with the 22-year-old’s representatives.
He said: “Liverpool will only give the green light to the exit of Cody Gakpo in these final days of the summer transfer window if they can sign two wingers.”
Romano continued: “The top priority is Bradley Barcola, that deal remains absolutely on, and then one more winger. They had conversations these days, two bids for Yankuba Minteh. They are still talking with the agent, they have alternatives, so Liverpool are working on two wingers.”
Sunday’s stalemate with Newcastle showed the need for reinforcements, with there a sense of irony that it could be a former Magpie who Liverpool seek to get in the door, with Minteh having been sold on by the Tynesiders in 2024.
Moved on, alongside Elliot Anderson, amid the need to meet PSR regulations, the Gambian speedster never actually made a competitive appearance for Newcastle, instead spending the 2023/24 season on loan at Arne Slot’s Feyenoord.
Now reportedly valued at £70m, it’s been a rapid rise for Minteh over the last few seasons, with there enough evidence to suggest he would represent an immediate upgrade on Ngumoha, in the short-term at least.
A natural right-winger, the left-footer notably sparkled during his year in Holland, scoring ten and assisting a further five despite only starting 17 Eredivisie games that campaign.
Since moving to the Amex, he’s left Newcastle regretting their decision to sell, ending 2024/25 with ten goals and assists in the Premier League, before adding a further seven last time out.
Across 2025/26 too, he also created 11 ‘big chances’, averaged 1.4 key passes per game and a stellar 1.9 successful dribbles per game. For context, he was only behind Jeremy Doku and Iliman Ndiaye in terms of total successful dribbles completed in the top flight in 2025/26.
In Ngumoha’s case, it is somewhat unfair to compare, considering his limited game time, yet he ended last season with just three goals and assists, having created just three ‘big chances’.
In terms of key passes and successful dribbles, the Liverpool starlet averaged just 0.8 and 1.6 for those same two metrics, respectively.
In essence, it feels a little soon to be putting quite so much responsibility on Ngumoha’s shoulders, particularly in a role that doesn’t appear to play to his strengths.
For that reason, bringing Minteh into the fold could be the ideal way for Iraola to try and fill Salah’s void more closely.
