Chelsea firmly rejects Liverpool requests after Rio Ngumoha transfer

Chelsea has denied Liverpool scouts access to youth games after losing 16-year-old attacker Rio Ngumoha last summer.

The Blues were left reeling after allowing the highly-rated teenager to slip through their fingers and join the Reds earlier this year , with club chiefs reportedly furious that the teenager was allowed to move to an English rival, in particular, after failing to agree fresh terms.

Understandably, the Anfield hierarchy was left over the moon with the deal after believing they had signed one of the most promising talents in the world for next to nothing, with his price expected to skyrocket over the next few years.

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In the last month, however, scouts from Liverpool and Manchester United have seen accreditation requests for academy matches at Chelsea’s Cobham training center rejected, according to The Athletic , which is believed to have stemmed from Ngumoha's transfer.

None of the three clubs are yet to issue formal bans on the other’s scouts, although sources at Liverpool have suggested that Chelsea scouts will likely receive the same treatment already handed to their own for future academy games, given the reciprocal nature of access for scouts at youth level.

However, in an effort to resolve the situation, it is said that all three clubs held talks last week, though no agreement has yet been reached.

As for Ngumoha, the teenager is finally underway with his Liverpool career following a lengthy five-step review process carried out by the Premier League , which ensures no rules have been broken when a youth player leaves one academy to join another.

The former Chelsea star has featured five times in the Under-18 Premier League and UEFA Youth League already this term, impressing with his pace, trickery and direct style of play.

And despite not yet scoring in a Liverpool shirt, the youngster has already done enough to catch the eye through glimpses of his talent, impressing manager Barry Lewtas with his attitude off the pitch , too.

"I don't see his identity changing at any point. It is just about the journey and making sure he improves bit by bit, whether that is his crossing or his finishing. I don't think he will be totally different in four years' time," he said. "We just all hope that — as we do with all of them — that we're not sitting at Kirkby watching them but we're sitting at Anfield.

"I don't see him changing much but he is a lovely boy and I genuinely mean that — well brought up. He has settled in really well with the lads, he communicates well with the staff, and he is a lovely kid."