Emile Heskey believes Rio Ngumoha could eventually be tempted to leave Liverpool for Bayern Munich, but says the teenage winger should first establish himself at Anfield.
The former Liverpool and England striker says Bayern’s record of developing young talent could prove attractive to the 18-year-old, who has already attracted attention from some of Europe’s leading clubs.
Heskey warns Rio Ngumoha must first prove himself at Liverpool
“There will always be temptation when clubs like Arsenal are coming around, and especially Bayern,” Heskey said in an interview.
“The reason I say Bayern is because Rio will be looking at Kane, he’ll be looking at Olise and he’ll be looking at Jude and Jobe Bellingham’s going over to Germany and doing well, and you can’t not do well at Bayern.
“So there will be that sort of temptation, but as a young lad you always wanna try and do well first where you are before you actually start branching out. So I do believe that he’ll want to stake his claim and really cement himself at Liverpool first and then move on.”
Ngumoha joined Liverpool after leaving Chelsea’s academy and has since been handed his senior breakthrough on Merseyside. The club regard him as part of their long-term plans after a series of eye-catching performances.
Bayern Munich have been credited with strong interest in the winger, while Arsenal have also monitored his development. The extent of his first-team opportunities at Liverpool could prove important as the competition for places increases.
Liverpool have strengthened their attacking options with the additions of Muñoz and Bradley Barcola, potentially making regular minutes harder for Ngumoha to secure.
Heskey also believes Ngumoha has the ability to challenge for England recognition, although he says the youngster must improve his contribution at club level.
“Rio could definitely be a star in the Premier League, and the funny thing is he’ll be looking, alongside all these young lads at the next international tournament which is the Euros and he’s 18. The next Euros is what, 2 years away, am I right?” Heskey said.
“He’ll be at a ripe age to be breaking into the national team, being a mainstay, but he needs to do it at club level and I do feel he’s got the ability to do that. He’s a fantastic dribbler but now he’s really got to be looking at his end product in terms of goals, assists and his contribution to the team.”
For now, Heskey’s view is that Ngumoha’s priority should be to cement his position at Liverpool. However, he believes a future move to Bayern Munich remains a possibility if the winger continues to develop and opportunities at Anfield become limited.
