Andoni Iraola reveals he BLOCKED Liverpool exit for FOUR-IN-ONE star Arne Slot didn’t fancy

Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola has revealed what he told the club about Lewis Koumas after he took over from Arne Slot in the summer.

Koumas made his Premier League debut for Liverpool last month when he came off the bench against Newcastle United.

The 20-year-old Wales international forward made his Champions League debut for the Premier League club against Atletico Madrid at Anfield on Wednesday evening.

Koumas came through the Liverpool youth system and had been sent out on loan to Stoke City, Birmingham City and Hull City in recent years.

Arne Slot did not use the youngster even once during his time as Liverpool manager.

Iraola replaced Slot in the summer, and the Liverpool manager has now revealed that he told the club not to let Koumas leave.

The former Bournemouth manager has noted the four different positions that Koumas can play in.

Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola raves about Lewis Koumas

Iraola told Liverpool’s official website about Koumas: “I think the first week I was here, I already told the club that he was staying all the season.

“I had very few doubts because he’s someone who covers us on the seven, on the nine, on the 10, on the 11.

“He trains very well, good attitude, good player, scores goals.

“He needs to add more things, obviously, like every young player, but he already has a good amount of experience playing in the Championship at a high level and I see him ready to help us.

“I like what he gives us, even in the scenarios where we’ve been losing like Newcastle away, the other day when we were winning, I think he helps us in both scenarios and I’m very happy to have him, yes.”

Iraola added: “I think he has very clear what he needs to do, and what he needs to do is to help the team.

“Sometimes it’s going to be on the ball, sometimes it’s going to be without the ball, sometimes he is going to be attacking the spaces for someone else to receive the ball.

“And he understands this, and when you have this mentality, normally it’s good for the team.”

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Andoni Iraola on Alexander Isak and Ronald Araujo

Iraola made the aforementioned comments about Koumas in the build-up to the Premier League game between Liverpool and Fulham at Anfield on Saturday.

During the pre-match press conference on Friday, the Liverpool manager also spoke about striker Alexander Isak and defender Ronald Araujo, who joined on loan from Barcelona in the summer transfer window.

Iraola said, when asked if Liverpool fans could see Isak at his very best: “We hope so. I think he is doing well.

“I’m happy with the improvements he’s doing game to game.

“In the physical side, I see him in a really good place.

“I think he looks free, he moves with confidence.

“Technically, we know he is very good. He’s understanding better what we need from the No.9 position.

“I think he’s in a good place.

“You will evaluate him because of the goals.

“I always say I will not evaluate him because of the goals – I think he has to help us in a lot of things, not just there.

“I think he’s in a good place.”

On Araujo, Iraola said: “I think Ronald, as you say, he’s used to playing big games.

“He’s used to playing in the Champions League, he’s used to fighting for titles, he’s used to playing for a big club.

“For him probably the biggest challenge was first the language – he doesn’t speak English – so sometimes the adaptation to a new country is difficult.

“But I think he has good help also inside in the changing room.

“I think this change a little bit mentally has helped him a lot in terms of he’s been a lot of years [playing] for Barca and I think he needed this kind of change.

“Also it helps that performance-wise I think he has been playing very well.

“The games against Forest, against Newcastle, it’s difficult to come in from the bench as a centre-back and he came [in], he did a good job, we scored also when he was on the pitch.

“[It] gave him probably some confidence and then when he’s had the chance to start – also in a position where he has played before but probably is not his main position – he has done very well.”

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