At senior level, Liverpool only signed Federico Chiesa during Arne Slot’s first summer. But there were other deals that were done that could make that window look a lot more exciting in the years to come.
Most obviously, Liverpool lined up a move that will see Giorgi Mamardashvili arrive from Valencia in a few months. The Georgian shot-stopper is one of the best up-and-coming young goalkeepers around and there was a transfer there to be agreed, even if Alisson Becker showed against PSG this week exactly why the Reds should be tying him down for as long as possible.
At youth level too, Rio Ngumoha drew plenty of excitement when Liverpool snapped him up from Chelsea. The Stamford Bridge side’s frustration at losing such a top prospect spoke volumes about his talent and he has since shown glimpses in the FA Cup.
There was another young player who came in from a Premier League rival, though, who should not be overlooked. And as Liverpool was knocked out of the Premier League U18 Cup this week, it was him — and not Ngumoha — who stood out.
Alvin Ayman, signed from Wolves last summer, started as a number eight for Liverpool U18s against Reading. Not 18 until September, he impressed with his effortless, gliding technical ability in the center of the field.
Elegant in possession, Ayman signed his first professional contract at Anfield just a few weeks ago and has become a thriving midfielder having played at full-back earlier in his career. He has all the tools required.
Teenage talent Trey Nyoni has dropped down into the U18 age group at times this year, but he was selected for the first-team trip to PSG in the Champions League later the same day, so wasn’t involved against Reading. Without him, Ayman took on the responsibility for progressing his team upfield.
(Image: Nick Taylor/Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
While Reading won the game and secured a place in the final, Ayman was a stand-out for the Reds on a difficult day. The Liverpool ace did well to dribble out of tight spaces under pressure and showed the kind of composure and drops of the shoulder that make him worth keeping an eye out for in the coming months.
“He’s a wonderful boy,” U18s head coach Marc Bridge-Wilkinson told Liverpool.com at the final whistle. “The first thing you have got to say is that he is a great lad and he wants to learn and to do well. He is full of energy and full of enthusiasm. Today, he showed moments of what we know he can do. I think there is more to come from him, for sure, and in time, we will see the best from him.”
Ayman clearly has plenty of talent. Like Ngumoha, he was brought in as the latest in a long line of Liverpool signings at academy level who are regarded as among the best in their age group across the country. They follow players like Harvey Elliott, Ben Doak, Kaide Gordon and Bobby Clark, enticed by a clear pathway to senior action.
“In the first half, we played really slowly and we didn’t get the moments on the sides of the pitch that we set out to achieve,” Bridge-Wilkinson said of the game more generally. “The space was there but we didn’t get there quick enough.
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“Sometimes when things go against you, it is really tough for these young players. Obviously in today’s situation, conceding two quick goals, it knocked the wind out of us and it took a while to get back into it.
“I would imagine some of them are frustrated. Sometimes we have to recognize that it isn’t always about us as the individual; it is about the team. If the team is playing in a way that the left side allows the right side to play or vice versa, then it makes the game a lot easier.
“Today was a little fractured in places. But that’s what happens when you put players back into groups that they have perhaps not always been.”
Even in those difficult circumstances, though, Ayman shone in moments, while Ngumoha was quiet. Both are names to watch out for in the future.
