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Liverpool Loan Watch: Lewis Koumas finding his edge in the Championship

When it comes to Liverpool and young forwards, the path is rarely linear. It is usually messy, occasionally exhilarating, often humbling. For Lewis Koumas, the journey since that unforgettable night at Anfield has followed that familiar rhythm.

Under the lights in an FA Cup fifth round tie against Southampton, Koumas became the fourth youngest Liverpool player ever to score on debut. The timing felt cinematic. Jurgen Klopp had just lifted the Carabao Cup and was counting down to his departure. Amid the emotion, he still found space to celebrate what he called his “kids”. Yet even in the glow of that moment, Klopp kept perspective, praising the finish but reminding everyone that development does not move in straight lines.

He was right.

Liverpool swiftly shielded Koumas from the spotlight. There were no further senior minutes that season. Instead, it was back to the Under 21s, back to repetition, back to refinement. The goal had been taken beautifully, calm and assured, but the rough edges were visible. For a teenager, that is part of the deal.

Championship education at Stoke City

Liverpool’s loan model has long been about immersion. Throw them into the deep end and see how they swim. Koumas’ 2024-25 season at Stoke City followed that blueprint. He made 43 appearances in the Championship, a gruelling environment where physicality and tempo expose every weakness.

The numbers from that campaign reflect a player learning on the job. He averaged 1.7 shots per game, posted a non penalty xG of 0.11, and converted just 6.5 percent of his attempts. The volume was modest, the efficiency inconsistent. It was the statistical signature of a 19 year old forward trying to impose himself among seasoned defenders.

Yet look closer and there were hints of promise. His NPxG per shot sat at 0.18, suggesting that when he did get into good areas, the chances were not trivial. The issue was frequency and composure. That tends to improve with experience, and experience was precisely what the Championship supplied in bulk.

Photo: IMAGO

Birmingham spell and confidence shift

The 2025-26 campaign began with another step away from Liverpool, this time at Birmingham City under Chris Davies. Game time proved harder to secure. Only seven of his 26 appearances were starts, and across 927 minutes he scored once, a strike against table topping Coventry City in early January.

The raw data, however, tells a more nuanced story. His shot volume ballooned to 12.5 per 90, admittedly in a small sample. His non penalty xG per shot dropped to 0.11, implying more speculative efforts, yet his shooting percentage soared to 61.4 percent. That combination usually points to a behavioural change. More assertive, less hesitant, more willing to pull the trigger.

His creative numbers spiked too. An xA figure of 1.2, even allowing for scaling quirks, suggests involvement in high value moments. He was no longer drifting through phases of play. He was forcing them.

It felt less like a tidy progression and more like a young forward testing his limits. Sometimes that looks chaotic. Sometimes it is necessary.

Photo: IMAGO

Impact role emerging at Hull City

The Birmingham loan was cut short, but opportunity knocked quickly. Hull City, chasing automatic promotion, brought him in for the second half of the season. Under Sergej Jakirovic, Koumas has made six substitute appearances, scoring twice in just 200 minutes.

One goal, part of a flowing team move nominated for Championship Goal of the Month, was archetypal centre forward play. He played on the shoulder, timed the run perfectly, and finished with minimal fuss. Another came in a 4-2 win over Derby County, introduced in the 82nd minute and scoring two minutes later. Decisive, instinctive, early release of the shot. These are patterns, not coincidences.

Positionally, he has featured on the left of a front three and centrally. The latter appears to suit him best. Closer to goal, fewer touches, more impact.

He is not complete. The underlying efficiency may yet fluctuate. Consistency remains the next hurdle. But there is a shift in intent, and in young attackers that often marks the first genuine leap.