Andoni Iraola has made Liverpool change their minds completely about four players with his latest decision.
Andoni Iraola has shared that he stopped another player from leaving Liverpool this summer after watching how things went in the first few weeks of the season.
Liverpool didn’t make many big moves during the summer transfer window until they spent £123 million on winger Bradley Barcola from PSG. By the deadline, their squad was looking very thin.
While the senior team is still a bit light, the club avoided a worst-case scenario by saying no to several players leaving. Now, Iraola has revealed that one more first-team player stayed because of him.
Before Liverpool’s Premier League match against Fulham on Saturday, Iraola talked about how he stopped young forward Lewis Koumas from leaving Anfield this summer.
The 20-year-old, whose dad Jason Koumas played for Cardiff, Tranmere, and West Brom, was expected to leave after being loaned to Hull City last season by the former manager Arne Slot. But Iraola decided Koumas would stay. It only took him less than a week of watching Koumas train to make up his mind.
“I think the first week I was here, I already told the club he was staying all season,” Iraola said. “I had very few doubts because he can play in many positions — seven, nine, 10, 11. He trains well, has a great attitude, scores goals.”
“I like what he brings,” Iraola added. “Whether we’re losing like at Newcastle or winning, I think he helps in both situations. I’m very happy to have him.”
“He knows what he needs to do, which is help the team. Sometimes with the ball, sometimes without it. Sometimes he creates space for others. And he understands that.”
“When a player has this mindset, it’s usually good for the team.”
This isn’t the first time Iraola has stepped in to keep a player at Liverpool.
Midfielder James McConnell was supposed to go on loan to Preston North End, but Iraola stopped that move at the last moment. McConnell hasn’t played yet but has been on the bench for three of the four games this season.
Also, young forward Jayden Danns had a loan offer from West Bromwich Albion, but Liverpool said no. Danns didn’t play for Liverpool’s first team last season but, after recovering from a thigh injury, Iraola wanted to bring him into the squad. He was even on the bench for Liverpool’s 2-1 win over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.
Another player, Luke Chambers, 22, was also close to going out on loan to several Championship teams. But Iraola kept him after he impressed during pre-season as a centre-back. Chambers was on the bench recently too and can play both centre-back and left-back, so he might get more chances as the season continues.