CONFIRMED: Liverpool sign future Ballon d'Or-winning forward

It’s just been Ballon d’Or week. Liverpool fans were aggrieved to find that Mohamed Salah finished in a relatively low position of FOURTH - despite leading the Reds to the Premier League title in 2024/25 with over 50 goal contributions.

Lamine Yamal finished runner-up to Ousmane Dembele - with the Frenchman meriting the award having arguably being Paris Saint-Germain’s best player throughout their treble-winning campaign.

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But the Anfield club will no doubt have been proud to see Salah finish in the top five - with two more title-winning stars represented on the list in the shape of Alexis Mac Allister (22) and Virgil van Dijk (28).

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Florian Wirtz, meanwhile, finished 29th for his exploits with Bayer Leverkusen last season. Even if Van Dijk and Salah are heading towards their mid-30s, Liverpool participation in the game’s biggest individual award is going to be guaranteed in the years ahead.

Ngumoha signs first pro deal

No doubt the likes of Ryan Gravenberch and Wirtz will make more shortlists and the Reds have just signed a potential future Ballon d’Or winner to his first-ever professional contract.

Rio Ngumoha, 17, has finally put pen to paper on a pro deal - having previously represented Liverpool on a scholarship contract.

The winger joined from Chelsea aged only 15 back in the summer of 2024 - rising quickly through the under-18 and under-21 ranks to become a bonafide member of Arne Slot’s first-team squad this season.

He scored the winner against Newcastle at St. James’ Park last month - and also provided game-altering interventions at Burnley and against Atletico Madrid too.

Ngumoha has got Ballon d'Or ambitions

Now he’s been secured to a pro deal - with another long-term contract surely in the pipeline when he turns 18 next August - Ngumoha can get to work on smashing his own personal targets.

And one of those is the Ballon d’Or. There is no doubting the England youth’s confidence - revealing in an interview last year that he was planning to go right to the top.

"I think for me, we're all believing that I can win the Ballon d'Or,” he said. “I want to be regarded as one of the best players to ever play football and yeah, be a legend in the game."

Richard Hughes' remarkable Ngumoha signing

That sets a remarkable benchmark for Ngumoha - who left Chelsea’s academy system in order to fulfil his destiny at Liverpool.

It’s clear sporting director Richard Hughes and head coach Slot believe in Rio’s potential - hence not signing a replacement left winger when Luis Diaz was sold to Bayern Munich.

The Merseysiders have a squad capable of generating the top team honours in the seasons upcoming - and if Ngumoha as expected makes himself a key part of that then there is no reason why he cannot rise to the heights of the Ballon d’Or.

The only other Liverpool player to win the award was Michael Owen back in 2001.

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