Who is Rio Ngumoha? The 'next Musiala' set for Chelsea stardom

Cameron Smith

• 13 May 2024 05:45 CDT
• 4 min read

Chelsea have one of the best academies in world football and while their owners are seemingly disinterested in the performances of their youth products, the Blues continue to develop world class talents.

Reece James, Mason Mount, Levi Colwill and Fikayo Tomori are among the players to have honed their craft at Cobham, while Jamal Musiala was in Chelsea’s academy until he joined Bayern Munich aged 16.

In Rio Ngumoha, Chelsea have a player who has been likened to Musiala on many occasions and they would be wise to keep hold of the talented teenager for years to come.

READ MORE: Who is Kiano Dyer? Chelsea's latest Cobham wonderkid

But, who is Ngumoha and how good is he?

What position does Rio Ngumoha play?

Ngumoha can play as a winger off either flank or as an attacking midfielder.

READ MORE: Who is Desire Doue? The Rennes wonderkid Arsenal, Man Utd and Chelsea all want

How good is Rio Ngumoha?

Ngumoha is regarded as one of Chelsea’s brightest academy talents and he trained with the first-team at just 15 years old.

In October 2023, he won the Premier League U16 Nationals ‘Player of the Tournament’ award, scoring in the final as Chelsea emerged victorious, while he scored a mesmerising solo goal in the U17 Premier League cup final in April 2024.

Ngumoha made his Chelsea U21 debut three months prior - becoming the third youngest player to achieve this feat in the 21st century - and he is expected to become a regular at that level very soon.

Like the aforementioned Musiala, Ngumoha glides with the ball at his feet and is almost impossible to stop when he’s in full flow. His close control is immaculate and he excels in tight spaces.

The teenager is a regular starter in the England youth set-up and he won the Man of the Match award during the Three Lions’ U16 victory over Sweden in February 2024 after scoring once and providing two assists.

What clubs are interested in Rio Ngumoha?

As things stand, Ngumoha is unlikely to leave Chelsea, due to his age. However, he is seen as one of England’s biggest talents and clubs across Europe will no doubt be keeping an eye on his situation if a progression path to the first-team isn’t established.

How old is Rio Ngumoha?

Ngumoha was born on 21 July 2008. He is 15 years old at the time of writing.

When does Rio Ngumoha’s contract expire?

Ngumoha is yet to sign his first professional contract at Chelsea.

What is Rio Ngumoha’s Instagram?

Ngumoha’s Instagram account is @rio_ngumoha. He has 24.3k followers as of May 2024.