Liverpool faces a potential battle to secure Rio Ngumoha's long-term future as Bayern Munich reportedly retain an interest in the player

Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola has plenty of tricky contract situations to consider, none more so than that of teenage talent Rio Ngumoha.

The likes of Alisson and Virgil van Dijk are out of contract in the summer, but both are aging, and the decision-makers will almost certainly weigh up the cost and value of keeping them around. Alexis Mac Allister is another with an uncertain long-term future, and it is not yet clear whether the club will change its stance on offering him a new deal.

One player the club is actively trying to tie down to fresh terms, though, is Ngumoha. The 18-year-old's current deal is set to expire in 2028, but renewing it now is crucial.

Otherwise, Liverpool would have to give serious consideration to selling him next summer to receive anything close to his current value. Despite reports of negotiations over recent months, the time it's taking to reach an agreement is understandably leaving supporters concerned.

Ngumoha has enjoyed a remarkable rise at Anfield since his move from Chelsea in 2024, and he's already established himself as a first-team player.

While Liverpool is understandably managing his load to avoid long-term injury concerns, some clubs are seemingly viewing it as an opportunity to poach him from Liverpool's grasp. Links with Bayern Munich emerged in the summer but were quickly shut down, and a move never transpired.

However, according to Bundesliga journalist Christian Falk, the German club was prepared to pay a sizable fee in the last transfer window to secure a player to supplement Luis Diaz on the left wing.

He has confirmed Bayern's interest has not disappeared, and Ngumoha remains on the club's shortlist for the upcoming January and summer transfer windows.

Falk even went so far as to say Bayern is still in talks with Ngumoha's camp, which will be concerning from a Liverpool point of view. At the very least, it provides the player's representatives with more leverage when negotiating better terms, but Ngumoha is on such a trajectory that he could become the future of the Liverpool attack, and keeping him was always going to come at a premium.

This season under Iraola, Ngumoha has featured on both the left and right flanks. His potential on the right, in particular, first emerged when he was tested there by England boss Thomas Tuchel before the World Cup in the summer.

While Ngumoha has started just one game in the Premier League so far this term, he has featured a further seven times off the bench. He has also been used heavily in the Champions League, with four starts, and in the Carabao Cup.

When asked by a journalist last month about his future, Ngumoha said: "It's all with my agent now. I think it is all going well. I am not too sure.

"I just let the football do the talking, I enjoy playing and all of that is in the back of my mind. I just play for play for Liverpool and hopefully I can carry on doing well."