Published: 17:31 EDT, 19 October 2024 | Updated: 17:31 EDT, 19 October 2024

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Tensions between Liverpool and Chelsea are high going into today's clash, with the Merseyside club's scouts banned from watching matches at Cobham.

Chelsea have turned down accreditation requests for Liverpool talent spotters after the Reds poached highly-rated 16-year-old Rio Ngumoha this summer.

Manchester United have also been banned from Chelsea matches for trying to sign the England youth international.

Liverpool would be minded to reciprocate the ban if Chelsea were to try to gain access to matches at the AXA Training Centre, though Anfield insiders have stressed they are relaxed about the situation.

Any ban - if it were to continue - could fall foul of the Premier League's youth development rule 247, which stresses clubs must permit access to scouts of other clubs to youth matches if they apply for accreditation within good time, usually before midday on the last working day before the game, and present official identification.

Tensions between Liverpool and Chelsea are high going into today's clash

One youth football expert told Mail Sport: 'Poaching young talents is rife in English academies, especially after Brexit rules meant clubs had to shop closer to home.

'Chelsea are no exception to this and regularly raid other clubs.

'For them to kick off about Rio leaving stinks of hypocrisy. It is a bit of a meaningless move anyway - if Liverpool scouts wanted to watch a player, they could find hundreds of clips online or just attend every away game anyway.'

Ngumoha was described by former Chelsea skipper John Terry as one of the best talents he had ever seen at Cobham.

Youth football website Secret Scout, whose head has been coaching for two decades, told Mail Sport: 'What is funny is that if Rio was playing in Brazil, Chelsea would have probably signed him for PS50million!

'He's one of the best youth talents I've ever seen in my coaching journey.'

It is understood Liverpool do not see this as a big issue at the moment - they are not in a rush to scout any Chelsea players - and have not complained to the Premier League.

His family saw a better pathway to the first team, highlighted by the amount of youth talent playing for the Reds when these sides met in last season's Carabao Cup final

This, of course, could change if the situation was to escalate.

Speaking to Mail Sport after a UEFA Youth League game last month, Reds Under-18 coach Barry Lewtas said of Ngumoha: 'It's important that we give him time because he's unbelievably young. He's only just turned 16.

'I want him to settle, get used to his new home and be happy. From there on in, he will develop and grow.'