New Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola has revealed that Welsh youngster Lewis Koumas is firmly a part of his plans for the upcoming season. The Spaniard, who has been at Anfield for just over two months, has made his decision despite loan and permanent interest in the 20-year-old this summer.
Following Sunday's game against AS Monaco, Iraola was full of praise for the Liverpool academy graduate. "We're definitely keeping him (Koumas) this season," he said. "I like what I'm seeing from him, and he will get opportunities."
Loan spells and development
The decision comes after Koumas had three loan spells in the Championship across the last two seasons. He first joined Stoke City for the 2024/25 campaign, scoring six goals and registering three assists in 49 games across all competitions, before linking up with Birmingham City for the first half of last term.
After making 25 appearances and scoring once, he was recalled and sent to Hull City, where he made 18 Championship appearances and netted three goals. All of which contributed to victories as the Tigers won the play-off final and returned to the Premier League for the first time since the 2014-15 season.
Koumas also landed his first international goal for Wales in a 1-1 draw with Ghana at Cardiff City Stadium in June.
Iraola's praise and pre-season form
Now, he is on the verge of establishing himself at the Premier League giants, with Iraola making no secret of how impressed he has been with the youngster. "Koumas was excellent in the first half," he added. "His energy is exactly what I want from a winger. His one-v-one ability, movement and crossing are very good. He gives us another dimension."
So far, he has featured in all four of Liverpool's pre-season friendlies. He has operated on both wings and as a centre-forward, while also scoring in their 4-2 victory over Sunderland in Nashville.
Bellamy and Rush also impressed
Not only has he drawn huge praise from his club manager Iraola, but also his national team manager Craig Bellamy. After scoring his first Wales goal against Ghana in June, Bellamy revealed that he sees him as a long-term solution as a centre-forward. "Due to our lack of nines coming through the system, we've used him a lot in training that way and he's really been electric," Bellamy said. "I see him as a real future player for Wales who's going to have a big say."
Liverpool's all-time top goal scorer and Wales great Ian Rush is also a fan of the youngster, telling BBC: "I've seen Lewis quite a lot in pre-season, he looks very, very good."
Journey from academy to first team
Koumas first joined Liverpool at the age of 11 from the Tranmere Rovers academy, coming from footballing heritage with his father Jason Koumas a former Cardiff player and Wales international. Fast forward just over seven years, and that 11-year-old boy who dreamed of playing for Liverpool got his first-team debut, scoring his first senior goal for the club in a 3-0 FA Cup win over Southampton at Anfield.
After three loan spells away, he remains with just the one senior competitive Liverpool appearance and one goal. After spending the last two seasons away from Merseyside, Koumas now finds himself in the strongest position of his young career. Bellamy views him as a key part of Wales' future, while Iraola is determined to keep him at Liverpool. The coming months may prove whether Koumas is destined to make his mark at Anfield and make the breakthrough many have predicted for years.
