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Liverpool have been ordered to pay Chelsea £2.8million after a tribunal returned its verdict on the signing of Rio Ngumoha. The 17-year-old forward joined Liverpool in September 2024 after leaving Chelsea's academy, meaning the Blues are entitled compensation.

Chelsea were reportedly furious when Ngumoha left for Liverpool because the club knew he was a special talent and had made several contract offers in order to try and keep him. His decision to snub their offers and head for Merseyside caused a worsening of relations between the two Premier League giants.

It has been reported that Chelsea stopped allowing Liverpool's youth scouts to attend academy matches in response to Ngumoha's departure. He was 16 when he joined the Reds in contentious fashion, prompting a Professional Football Compensation Committee (PFCC) tribunal.

The tribunal was needed to determine the amount Chelsea were owed for aiding Ngumoha's development. The Athleticreports that the verdict, which is non-negotiable, has now been communicated to both clubs.

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Liverpool will be forced to pay their rivals an initial fee of £2.8m, which could rise significantly if other factors play out. It could reach £6.8m if certain milestones - which relate to senior appearances, contracts and international recognition - are met. Chelsea will also be owed 20 per cent of the profit if Ngumoha is sold to another club.

Ngumoha has already starred for England's youth sides and is now playing for the under-19s, for whom he has eight appearances and one goal.

Ngumoha has made 14 appearances for Arne Slot's first team at Liverpool since making his debut in January 2025, becoming the club's youngest ever player in the FA Cup. He scored a memorable winning goal after coming on as a substitute in a 3-2 victory against Newcastle in August and has been a regular in Premier League squads all season.

“I think he has the most minutes of all 17-year-olds in the Premier League. So that tells you how much playing time he gets, how special that already is for a 17-year-old,” Slot said in December when asked about Ngumoha. “That also tells you something about his quality, because it’s not completely normal for a 17-year-old already to have as much playing time as he had.

“But it also tells you something about the availability in those areas. For the weekend that position’s not my biggest concern, I would say. So hopefully Cody [Gakpo] is back, not sure but hopefully, Federico [Chiesa] can play there, Florian [Wirtz] can play there, so if he would be a player in a different position he would probably have even more chance to come in. But it’s the same for all the other players.

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