Liverpool’s attacking options could be about to become even more fascinating.
According to Florian Plettenberg, Rio Ngumoha could be moved to the right wing if Liverpool complete the signing of Bradley Barcola.
And while that might initially seem like a strange decision, it could actually make a lot of sense for Andoni Iraola.
Barcola could take the left
Barcola is naturally comfortable on the left wing, where his pace, dribbling and ability to cut inside make him particularly dangerous.
If Liverpool manage to bring the French international to Anfield, he would presumably become one of Iraola’s main options on that side.
That could mean Ngumoha, who has predominantly featured from the left, being asked to adapt to the opposite flank.
And considering how exciting the teenager has looked, that could be a fascinating experiment.
Ngumoha has already shown his ability
One of the most exciting things about Ngumoha is his willingness to take defenders on.
The 17-year-old isn’t afraid to receive the ball, attack his man and try to make things happen.
He’s incredibly quick, has excellent close control and possesses the sort of confidence you don’t always see in players his age.
Moving to the right would obviously require some adjustment.
But there is no reason why he couldn’t develop into an effective option on that side.
Imagine Liverpool’s attack
If Barcola does arrive, Iraola could suddenly have an incredible collection of attacking players.
Bradley Barcola — left wing
Florian Wirtz — No.10
Alexander Isak — striker
Rio Ngumoha — right wing
And that’s before mentioning Cody Gakpo, Federico Chiesa, Victor Munoz and the other attacking options in the squad.
That is serious depth.
And perhaps more importantly, it gives Iraola different ways of attacking opponents.
Barcola can explode past defenders.
Ngumoha can isolate full-backs and take them on.
Wirtz can find the killer pass.
And Isak can finish.
A big opportunity for Ngumoha
Moving to the right could actually be fantastic for Ngumoha’s development.
Rather than seeing Barcola’s arrival as a threat to his opportunities, he could view it as an opportunity to establish himself in another position.
Learning to play on both wings would make him considerably more valuable to Liverpool.
It would also allow Iraola to rotate his forwards without necessarily weakening the team.
For a 17-year-old, that’s a huge advantage.
Liverpool could have frightening pace
One of the most exciting aspects of this potential change is the amount of speed Liverpool could have across the front three.
Imagine Barcola and Ngumoha both attacking full-backs from opposite sides.
Both are capable of carrying the ball at speed.
Both are comfortable taking defenders on.
And with Isak occupying the centre-backs, opponents would have a very difficult front three to contain.
Add Wirtz into the equation and Liverpool could have creativity coming from everywhere.
Barcola’s arrival could actually help Ngumoha
It’s easy to think that signing another winger would restrict a young player’s opportunities.
But in this case, it could actually have the opposite effect.
If Ngumoha can become comfortable on the right, Barcola’s arrival could give Iraola two exciting young wingers who can complement rather than compete directly with each other.
And Liverpool would have the luxury of rotating them depending on the opposition.
Could Ngumoha become Liverpool’s right winger?
It’s still only a reported possibility at this stage.
But I really like the idea.
Ngumoha is far too talented to be worried about where exactly he plays.
At 17, the priority should be developing his game and finding ways to get him onto the pitch.
If Barcola arrives and takes the left-wing position, moving Ngumoha to the right could give Liverpool another incredibly exciting attacking option.
Barcola on the left.
Ngumoha on the right.
Wirtz behind Isak.
That could be one frightening Liverpool attack.
Jamie (The Kopite View)
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