Birmingham City & Sheffield United face fresh threat in race to sign Lewis Koumas | OneFootball

Hull City have joined the race to sign the Liverpool youngster on loan

Birmingham City and Sheffield United are now set to face further Championship competition in the race to sign Lewis Koumas on loan, with Hull City continuing to plot their own route towards his services.

The Tigers' summer has been extremely eventful to say the least, with the club recently learning the fate of their appeal regarding a three-window transfer fee restriction, which has been reduced to two transfer windows by the EFL.

New head coach Sergej Jakirovic has still been able to make several additions on free transfers or in loan moves which require no additional fees, although the Bosnian has insisted that he is still looking to bring further depth through the MKM Stadium door, although the chances of signing Koumas are also set to hinge on a potential departure.

Hull City provide Birmingham City and Sheffield United with fresh Lewis Koumas transfer threat

Koumas has been of interest to several second-tier outfits in recent days of the current transfer window, with it being reported initially that Sheffield United - now managed by former City boss Ruben Selles - and Norwich City were still behind big-spending division newcomers Wrexham in the race for the 19-year-old.

It was then reported by the Liverpool Echo that the Red Dragons, alongside the fellow newly-promoted and equally ambitious Birmingham, are willing to offer the six-time international a permanent move.

However, a fresh update from Hull Live has outlined a slightly complicated route which the Tigers must navigate in order to beat the aforementioned clubs to the young forward, which would be on a loan basis.

The report states that the East Yorkshire club aren't currently in a position to confirm any more signings, despite interest in Koumas and Amir Hadžiahmetović of Besiktas due to wage cap limitations, which could be resolved if Abu Kamara moves to La Liga outfit Getafe, just a year after the 22-year-old moved from Norwich City for a fee in the region of £3.5m.

Unsurprisingly, it is also said that, in order to make these deals work, if at all possible, City will need to negotiate well with the Premier League champions due to the restrictions imposed on them by the EFL, with Jakirovic also keeping his cards close to his chest when asked about the possibility of Koumas moving across the M62.

"Yes, but we will see with Liverpool," he stated. "Koumas is a very good player, a young player with big potential, so we will see. We will see what will happen in the future."

It could take a monumental effort for Hull City to fend off Birmingham City, Wrexham competition for Lewis Koumas

It is no surprise that so many clubs are looking to entice the Chester-born man to their respective projects, especially after Koumas impressed majorly on loan at Stoke City last term, scoring six times and registering three assists in 49 games during his first loan away from Merseyside.

Hull's attack and creative departments have been extremely potent thus far, scoring thrice against Wrexham in the EFL Cup before dramatically seeing off Oxford United in HU3 on Sunday, with the likes of Oli McBurnie, Joel Ndala and Joe Gelhardt all gaining plaudits.

However, further quality would be welcome in these areas, especially with Matt Crooks currently sidelined with a swollen ankle, whilst Kyle Joseph is yet to fully showcase his ability to City supporters following his move from Blackpool in January.

Koumas' versatility would also be a useful weapon to have, meaning that City would have yet another player that can cover several bases if squad issues occur throughout the campaign whilst still working within their current means.

However, it does feel that it would take a huge effort for the club to fend off Blues, Sheffield United and Wrexham for his signature due to the dominoes which need to initially fall, added to the well-documented ambition showcased in the West Midlands and North Wales.