Rio grand makes Slot hail quality but quell the hype

LIVERPOOL appear set to soar past the £300million mark for summer spending — but it is a teenager signed a year ago who has caught the eye during pre-season.

- By Chris McKenna

Head coach Arne Slot tried to quell some of the growing hype yesterday, after a stunning solo goal from 16-year-old Rio Ngumoha in Japan.

Yet on the day Luis Diaz departed and left-sided options are being looked at, the signing from Chelsea’s academy last summer shone brightly in a 3-1 comeback win against Yokohama F. Marinos.

Florian Wirtz, below, the £116m man from Bayer Leverkusen, also got his first goal in Liverpool colours in what ended up a decent workout on a dodgy pitch.

That was the equaliser after Asahi Uenaka’s 55th-minute opener for the J1 League side.

Teenagers Trey Nyoni and Ngumoha both then scored as Liverpool bid farewell to the Far East.