Yahoo Sport 
Rio Ngumoha and Arne Slot have just sent a clear contract message to Trent Alexander-Arnold
"I truly believe I can win the Ballon d'Or one day.”
It’s a big claim, and one that you might not expect to come out of the mouth of a player yet to make a single senior appearance in football. Rio Ngumoha isn’t just any other player though.
Still just 16 years old, the young forward has certainly made his impact after trading Stamford Bridge for Anfield in the summer. Such was the rage emanating from Chelsea that you’d be forgiven for thinking Liverpool had somehow manage to lure Cole Palmer away from them.
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That tells you all you need to know about how highly rated Ngumoha is in football circles. In fact, Chelsea were so incensed by his move to Merseyside that they have since denied Liverpool’s scouts access to their youth games, no doubt fearing that they may snap up more of their brightest prospects.
If that wasn’t enough evidence of Liverpool securing something special, Ngumoha also arrived with glowing references from Raheem Sterling and former Chelsea captain John Terry. “This boy is and will be a top top player,” the latter wrote on social media upon hearing of the teenager’s move to Anfield.
And Arne Slot is clearly already a fan. Just a couple of months after his move to Liverpool was confirmed, Ngumoha is already rubbing shoulders with the likes of Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk, having been called up to senior training ahead of the Premier League clash with Aston Villa.
It’s a huge show of confidence in the teenager from the Liverpool boss. Ngumoha has trained with the club’s senior players before, although that was during an international break when many of the big names were away at various corners of the world. To bring him back into the fold at a time when the Reds are looking to solidify their status as the top team in England and Europe shows that it might not just Ngumoha who has that Ballon d’Or dream.
Not only is that significant for the teenager, but it sends a clear message to his new teammates, and in particular one player who is also eyeing up the biggest individual prize in football.
Trent Alexander-Arnold has made no secret of his desire to win the Ballon d’Or. Having already won every major trophy on offer at Liverpool, it is a natural next step for a player who is entering his peak years as a player.
His recent comments have raised fears among Liverpool’s supporters that a move to Real Madrid is in the offing. With just a matter of months until his contract expires, and only 53 days until he can negotiate a pre-contract agreement with a foreign club, it does feel increasingly like we might be witnessing his final acts in red.
The presence of Ngumoha should demonstrate that he may not need a move to the Bernabeu to achieve that Ballon d’Or dream though. Here is a player harboring the same ambition as Alexander-Arnold, who specifically made the move to Anfield in order for him to achieve it.
Of course, Liverpool still has a long way to go this season before we can crown them the best in Europe, which would almost certainly strengthen Alexander-Arnold’s case for the Ballon d’Or, but the early signs are promising under Slot – there can’t be any doubt that he has made a positive impact on the Scouser since taking over from Jurgen Klopp, with his defending improving a lot this season.
If Ngumoha feels he can win the Ballon d’Or at Liverpool, then there’s no reason why Alexander-Arnold can’t also do it. It’s time to get pen to paper Trent.
