Liverpool decision involving Lewis Koumas and Stoke City could be one to remember: View | OneFootball

Lewis Koumas has made an excellent start to life at Stoke City

Stoke City are already reaping the rewards from signing Liverpool's highly-rated teenage forward Lewis Koumas on a season-long loan deal, which could well be one to remember should his white-hot form continue.

An eye-catching summer transfer window was once again undertaken in the Potteries, which saw the likes of Eric Bocat, Tom Cannon, Andrew Moran and Viktor Johansson head to the bet365 Stadium.

Admittedly, Stoke do find themselves in a seemingly-interminable cycle of completing exciting and intriguing transfers each summer window before flattering to deceive, but there is growing confidence that the Potters can finally kick on and threaten to build the foundations in ending their six-year absence from the Premier League under the trusted hands of Steven Schumacher.

Indeed, you do get the impression that any success which comes to Stoke this season will be, in no small part, due to Koumas. Son to Cardiff City and West Bromwich Albion icon Jason Koumas, the 18-year-old has embarked on an electrifying start to life in the Midlands, and it could prove to be a memorable loan spell to look back on in years to come.

Lewis Koumas' Stoke City form following Liverpool agreement

Although the Premier League loan market is regularly optimised across the width and breadth of the Championship and with good reason too, there is always a degree of anticipation about whether these young players can physically and mentally from age-group football into the intense and unforgiving nature of the second-tier.

Some make the step-up and some fail to, but any fears over Koumas being able to adapt have quickly been quashed following some sensational showings in his opening few games for the club.

In a match which saw him hit the woodwork twice, Koumas scored on his full Championship debut for Stoke in a 2-1 defeat against West Brom last month, before following that up with a goal and an assist to help his side to a 5-0 rout over Middlesbrough in the second round of the Carabao Cup.

Koumas is an outstanding finisher but possesses that same ability to breeze past opponents like his father did throughout the English Football League for many illustrious years, while he has also carved out a host of chances for his teammates.

Intelligent and positionally-flexible, Koumas has featured on both flanks for Stoke thus far and should be a key wide outlet alongside Million Manhoef, who has also enjoyed himself so far this season.

Stoke City may take credit for future Lewis Koumas, Liverpool success

The likelihood is that if Koumas keeps up this form then he will only be at Stoke for this season, but they may be able to take some of the flowers from his potential future development.

Koumas is an exceptional talent, make no mistake about it. Though undisclosed, Liverpool officially confirmed their decision to hand the young forward a new contract before sanctioning his move down the road to Stoke.

That, of course, provides an undoubted indication of the long-term strategy for Koumas at Anfield. He was a star performer at all levels for the Reds' vaunted academy system and scored on debut in their 3-0 FA Cup win over Southampton last season, months before making his senior international bow with Wales.

He has since been named in Craig Bellamy's first squad for Wales' upcoming UEFA Nations League qualifiers against Türkiye and Montenegro. Although Stoke supporters may actually hope Koumas does not feature in the fixtures due to the risk of injury, they would doubtlessly gain a strong feeling of pride if he takes his early-season form onto the international stage.

Koumas is not there yet by any stretch of the imagination, but the ideal scenario in the future will be for him to be firing on all cylinders with Arne Slot's Liverpool and for the national team, too.

For the time being, though, Stoke is clearly proving to be the best environment for his immediate development, and they will reflect and reminisce on the deal in the future if he continues his trajectory and becomes a Premier League star.