Liverpool transfers: Lewis Koumas proving Klopp RIGHT in superb loan spell

Liverpool starlet Lewis Koumas signed a new, long-term deal at Anfield earlier this month before completing a season-long loan move to Championship side Stoke City. 

The 18-year-old, who has already earned two senior caps for Wales, made his full league debut for the Potters at the weekend as Steven Schumacher’s side succumbed to a 2-1 defeat at home to West Brom. 

Nonetheless, despite the defeat, Schumacher described Koumas as a huge positive for Stoke, with the Liverpool teen netting his first goal for the club and coming close to adding two more. 

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Having played wide left in the Carabao Cup against Carlisle, Koumas demonstrated his versatility by shining through the middle for strikerless Stoke on Saturday, giving his new manager plenty of food for thought. 

"On another day he gets a hat-trick, he takes the match ball and we come away with all three points,” Schumacher told the Stoke Sentinel. 

“That's how close it is in this league, small margins determine the outcome of games. 

"Lewis was great. He played as a single number nine, which he has done a few times but it's not his natural position. He looked really sharp for us. Their two centre-backs must have about 1,000 games in the Championship between them and it's Lewis's first start so you can't expect too much but what we did see was positive."

Koumas demonstrating his versatility

Koumas, described as ‘fantastic’ by former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, is the Reds’ fourth-youngest debutant goalscorer having netted against Southampton in the FA Cup last season. 

With a new deal inked, he could have a part to play for Arne Slot once his loan deal expires at the end of the season, particularly with his adaptability now coming to the fore. 

"He can play anywhere,” Schumacher said. 

“When we got the reports on him we spoke to the lads at Liverpool who have worked with him for years in the academy and they said he can play anywhere across the front three. 

“He's a talented lad. He's shown that. What I like from him in that position is that he's quick and willing to run behind and play on the shoulder. That creates space for the lads in front of them. That's how I like to play. It gives us an opportunity on transition to get in on one pass.

"A 9 who's fit, who's fast is ideal and he can do that. He's also really good on the sides, he can play in the wide areas and he gets himself into good positions where he can score goals. 

“The two areas he got in today, especially for his first chance that hit the post, that's where he finds himself in the left channel opening up on his right foot so he played really well. It's a huge positive from that."