Rio Ngumoha is yet to sign a new contract since turning 18 at Liverpool and has been linked with Bayern Munich

Former Liverpool defender Glen Johnson has urged Rio Ngumoha to ignore interest from Bayern Munich and become a star at Anfield instead.

Ngumoha was attracting tentative interest from Bundesliga giants Bayern back in the summer transfer window and nearly two months on his 18th birthday on August 29, the new contract that had been anticipated has yet to be signed. A deal penned when he turned 17 currently ties him to the club until 2028.

Ngumoha said the situation was being dealt with by his representatives when speaking after Saturday's 2-1 win at Brentford and while ex-Reds defender Johnson concedes Bayern is a huge club, he challenged the teenager to make the grade on Merseyside for the 20-time champions.

“Bayern Munich is obviously a fantastic club and side, and big credit to Rio Ngumoha that he has interest from such a big club, but I don't think he has to be looking anywhere near that," Johnson told wettbasis.com.

"He is at a fantastic club where he is playing and doing really well. There is no need to change that and Liverpool don't want to let him go.

“Obviously when you are playing like he does, all the top clubs will want him, but I don't think that's even an option. Liverpool wouldn't want to let him go because he is one of their best players.

"If he wasn't playing, you would totally understand why he would want to go, especially because we are seeing more and more English players going abroad, which is working really well for them.

“So, for players who aren't getting the minutes, I can understand it, but Rio is banging on the door almost being at a point where he should be starting every week, so I don't think he should move anywhere.

"As long as he keeps learning and improving, then he can go to the very top. He doesn't look like the kid who just wants to be a flash in the pan.”

Ngumoha played an important part in helping turn the game Liverpool's way at the Gtech Stadium on Saturday after he was introduced for Jeremie Frimpong early in the second half with the hosts 1-0 up and down to 10 men following Yehor Yarmoliuk's red card.

And Johnson says he isn't expecting Ngumoha to fade away after such an early rise to prominence in his career at Liverpool.

Former England right-back Johnson, who made 200 appearances for the Reds between 2009 and 2015, added: “We have seen loads of players who have burst onto the scene and then disappeared in a year and you would never hear from them again.

"He doesn't look like he is like that, he is a good professional and he works really hard. He isn't arrogant at all.”