Chelsea confident of earning big Liverpool tribunal fee as wonderkid Rio Ngumoha turns 17

Chelsea remain looked in a battle with Liverpool to settle on a fee for Rio Ngumoha but the Premier League tribunal are yet to decide on a number - which could yet work in the Blues' favour.

Ngumoha, who turns 17 on Friday, started his career at Stamford Bridge in 2016 but signed a senior contract with the Reds last summer. Those in west London were left frustrated as they knew the immense talent they had just lost.

Ngumoha impressed in pre-season but his headline moment came on Monday night when he came off the bench to score the winner for Liverpool in the 100th minute at Newcastle . It made him Liverpool’s youngest-ever goalscorer and the fourth youngest in Premier League history.

Chelsea are still chasing a compensation fee having lost the teenage sensation and a tribunal was scheduled for a year ago to decide how much Liverpool owe their rivals.

No decision has yet been made but the Daily Mail claims that Ngumoha's rapid rise and exploits on the pitch will only enhance their case for a greater fee when the dispute is eventually settled.

FA rules state that youngsters who enjoy make swift improvements in their new surroundings are liable to cost more. Their website states: "The status of each club; the age of the player; the amount of any transfer fee paid by the former club on acquisition of the player and the length of time the former club has held the player’s registration.

“(Also considered are) the terms of the new contract offered to the player by each club; the training and development of the player at the former club (specialist coaching, education, welfare); and the player’s playing record and achievements."

A precedent has been set by another saga involving Liverpool, when they had to settle on a figure for Harvey Elliott after he moved to Anfield from Fulham . The then teenager was highly-rated and the Cottagers eventually got a settlement of £4.3million after an 18 month tribunal.

John Terry , who is involved at Chelsea's base, admits that Ngumoha's exit will serve as the one who got away. He told The Sun: “We had a really good Under-14 team and he was a big part of that. You don't see too many players that are exciting like him anymore. There's going to be many more over the years that as an academy you lose, but there's always one that you think, 'I'm a bit gutted we missed out on that one'."

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