There were very few bright spots for Liverpool FC this season, as the club limped to a fifth place finish in the Premier League with not a trophy in sight.
The better than expected debut season from Hugo Ekitike, Dominik Szoboszlai's continued evolution into a star, and the true emergence of teenage sensation Rio Ngumoha carried the positive torches for the Reds this season.
It is for that reason, that upon hearing that German superpower Bayern Munich maintained an interest in sparking up a transfer for Rio, I was very happy to see the response from Liverpool.
Rio Ngumoha is 'untouchable'
David Ornstein reported on Friday that Bayern were legitimate in their efforts to strike up transfer talks over the 17-year old England winger.
Ornstein posted to his social media accounts some more details on this. "Bayern Munich exploring move to sign Rio Ngumoha. 17yo Liverpool winger primary #FCBayern target for left side & aware of pursuit. No contact yet between clubs."
He would go on to also state that Liverpool wish to strengthen their attack this summer and not weaken it, and they consider Rio not for sale.
Fellow transfer guru Fabrizio Romano reinforced this idea on his own social media. "Liverpool stance on Rio Ngumoha, not just for today but for months: untouchable. Seen as crucial part of the project and no chance for his exit, #LFC view is clear."
It's interesting to hear that Bayern, who could typically have their pick of forward options in the world have zeroed in on Ngumoha as the answer to their needs.
However, having trusted sources like Ornstein and Romano reporting that the Reds are taking such a firm stance on their budding star, is exactly the kind of response all Liverpool fans should want to see.
Liverpool justified in their Ngumoha stance
As mentioned above, for a club the size of Bayern Munich to think enough of a 17-year old forward, who only made 29 total appearances this season, most of which were as a substitute, should tell you everything you need to know about his talent and potential ceiling in this game.
Even with such a small sample size at the top level, it is plain to see that Ngumoha has the goods to make a big impact for any club in the world.
He became Liverpool's youngest ever goalscorer, which in of itself is even more impressive when you consider how many young talents have thrived at Liverpool over the years.
His style of play; explosive, direct and confident, makes him a joy to watch and as his finishing abilities improve in the next few seasons, his game could hit a whole new level.
The Reds are absolutely right to shutdown any talks of a sale or exit in response to this. Selling Rio now would only be selling low on an asset that could potentially be one of your long-term pillars sooner than later.
Rio has a game that is perfectly suited to the aggressive system that incoming boss Andoni Iraola wants to implement at Anfield, so it is very likely we have just seen the surface of what's to come.
Get stronger, not weaker
Both the club and player are entering pivotal summer's in their trajectories. Ngumoha will be thinking his time has truly come with the departure of Arne Slot, and it has already begun with a call to train with England ahead of their World Cup exploits.
From a Liverpool perspective, having watched Luis Diaz move to Bayern last summer and absolutely thrive in Germany would not be a good feeling at all. Going through that again, except for a decade is not an option, or it should not be.
The stagnation of Cody Gakpo this season was alarming, but he should be given a fresh chance under Iraola to recapture the form that we saw the previous few seasons.
However, having said that, Rio is knocking on the door already, and if the Reds are successful in their pursuit of 19-year old Yan Diomande, we could see two electric wingers on either side of Alexander Isak for years to come. What a thought that is, eh?
Following such a disappointment of a campaign, Michael Edwards, Julian Ward and Richard Hughes cannot afford to be passive this summer. Yes, they spent big last summer, but holes still exist.
They must approach the summer transfer window with a buyer's mentality, not a club willing to sell it's brightest young talent for pennies in the long-term.
This is why their firm stance on Rio Ngumoha staying at Anfield is the perfect answer to Bayern Munich making their presence felt. Long may the powers that be at Liverpool remain resolute.
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