Rio Ngumoha: The 17-year-old prodigy reviving Liverpool's hopes

Mohamed Salah's departure from Liverpool at the end of this season will leave a difficult void to fill at Anfield. However, the good news is that they possess a true prodigy: Rio Ngumoha.

Replacing a star like Salah has never been easy. After nine years at Anfield, he is counting down the days until his departure with his 256th goal for Liverpool. On the other hand, a teammate sixteen years younger than Salah, Ngumoha, delivered a superb performance to remind everyone that he is ready for a new dawn in his Liverpool career.

The opening goal against Fulham was Ngumoha's second goal for Liverpool this season. Previously, the 17-year-old talent scored the decisive goal helping manager Arne Slot's team defeat Newcastle 3-2 in the 90+10th minute last August. Notably, the Fulham match was only his second Premier League start. Ngumoha's other twelve Premier League appearances and three Champions League appearances were all as a substitute.

This shows Slot is very cautious in utilizing this 17-year-old talent. The Dutch manager has many top forwards from Salah, Florian Wirtz, Cody Gakpo, Hugo Ekitike to Alexander Isak. Ngumoha understands he must be patient and cherish every opportunity given by manager Slot, whether starting or coming off the bench. On the other hand, starting Ngumoha against Fulham shows manager Slot is not afraid to make bold decisions. Liverpool had not tasted victory in their last three Premier League matches. They did not want Chelsea to seize the fifth position. The reward for Slot's courage was a victory that keeps Liverpool ahead in the race for the final Champions League spot next season.

But is that enough for Ngumoha to deserve a starting spot in tomorrow night's Champions League quarter-final second leg against PSG? The Dutch manager lavishly praised the increasingly strong, energetic, and ready-to-play top-level football 17-year-old forward through each match. Praise is one thing; starting him in the Champions League is a high-risk decision.

Except for 17 minutes against Atletico Madrid last September, Ngumoha's two other substitute appearances against Qarabag and Galatasaray occurred when Liverpool were already assured of victory. This shows Slot has not yet considered Ngumoha a tactical option in Champions League matches. This 17-year-old forward could play the role of an "X-Factor" disrupting PSG's defense. But if Ngumoha shows immaturity on the continental stage, the price Slot could pay is the risk of early dismissal. Xabi Alonso is being targeted by Liverpool if a coaching change is needed.

The positive aspect Ngumoha brings to Anfield at this moment is a promising option so Liverpool does not need to spend heavily to replace Salah at any cost in the upcoming summer transfer window. Slot's team needs to prioritize upgrading other positions like a new goalkeeper as Alisson is set to leave, a center-back, or a quality midfielder. Ngumoha cannot directly replace Salah next season, but the starting frequency of this 17-year-old forward will significantly increase if he continues to perform well as in the recent Fulham match.