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Sky Sports pundit Lee Hendrie believes Liverpool's Lewis Koumas would be a ''great signing' to the Norwich City squad

Sky Sports pundit Lee Hendrie believes that Lewis Koumas would be a 'great signing' for the Norwich City squad as Liam Manning prepares for his first season in charge at Carrow Road.

The Canaries slumped to a 13th-place finish last season after showing ambitions to push for a playoff place throughout the season, largely down to the goalscoring form of Borja Sainz, who recently departed Norfolk for Portuguese giants Porto for £14.25 million.

Danish manager Johannes Hoff Thorup was dismissed from his duties towards the latter stages of the season, and was replaced by former Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere in the dugout on an interim basis as they ultimately missed out on a play0off spot.

Liam Manning has taken over the role of manager at Carrow Road following his departure from Bristol City, who he helped guide to a sixth-place finish last season, eventually succumbing to Sheffield United in the playoffs.

Norwich have already made the exciting additions of forward Mathias Kvistgaarden from Danish club Brondby for £6.9 million and Senegalese winger Papa Amadou Diallo for £4.3 million from Ligue 2 side Metz, and are touted to try and sign Koumas to bolster their attacking options.

As per a recent report by the Liverpool Echo, Norwich are interested in acquiring the winger's services ahead of the 2025/26 campaign. They are, however, facing no shortage of competition, with the likes of Hull City, Preston North End and Oxford United - alongside big-spending newly-promoted duo Birmingham City and Wrexham - all linked with a move for Koumas, too.

Lee Hendrie claims Liverpool's Lewis Koumas would be a 'good addition' for Norwich City

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, ex-Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie believes that Koumas, 19, would be a 'good addition' to the Canaries squad and that he is someone that he is a 'big fan of'.

Hendrie said: "I'm a real big fan of Lewis Koumas, he started off well at Stoke and really showed that he is capable of kicking on.

"I think there's no surprise again that there will be clubs that will be looking to take him, and Norwich obviously being one of them.

"I think he will be a great signing for them. I think he still has got a lot to offer. Playing in that style and playing under Liam Manning, he likes a football-minded player, and who better than him?

"I think he would be a real good addition for Norwich, and I think he would enjoy it there as well. I think it was a little bit hard for him last season playing in a team that struggled a little."

Liverpool's Lewis Koumas has already proven he is capable at this level

Koumas spent last season on loan with Stoke City in the Championship, and was a regular in the side that finished just outside the relegation zone, making 49 appearances across all competitions for the Potters, scoring six goals with three assists in what was his first taste of regular senior football.

Stoke had three different managers last campaign in Steven Schumacher, Narcis Pelach and Mark Robins, with different playing styles each manager adopted certainly not helping Koumas' overall output.

Despite this, he showed flashes of brilliance on numerous occasions, namely an excellent finish past Alex Palmer on his home debut against West Brom and a sublime bicycle kick finish against Bristol City.

Having already been capped by Wales on six occasions at just 19, Koumas is undoubtedly a talent.

If he were to make the move to Norwich, given they are expected to be within the playoff picture once again, it wouldn't be at all surprising to see his output skyrocket in a better side, and he could prove a shrewd potential replacement for Sainz.