Lewis Koumas for Liverpool
Lewis Koumas for Liverpool
In Luis Suarez’s first 20 Premier League games for Liverpool, he scored four goals.
So many of Liverpool's high-profile foreign exports hit the ground running, but it's important to remember that it can take time, developing a superstar talent into someone who can produce world-class performances each week for the Anfield side.
However, Bradley Barcola and Florian Wirtz do have a lot to prove, having over the past year or so both moved to Merseyside for a combined fee of nearly £250m.
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After all, in recent weeks, a few less costly Liverpool forwards have gone toe-to-toe with Andoni Iraola's star attackers, homegrown talent Lewis Koumas.
Why Iraola values Koumas so highly
It was a baptism of fire for Koumas last weekend as he fronted a Liverpool attack lacking both Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo. The Reds' two most in-form forwards this season, both picked up injuries during the international break.
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The Wales international, only 21, has been at Liverpool for ten years, but Iraola is a big fan, and after a series of loan spells, Koumas now looks set to play a big role throughout the campaign, bringing plenty of intensity and aggression to complement his natural eye for goal.
He's persistent, this lad. Twice Koumas converted against LASK and wheeled away in celebration only to be swiftly cut short by the offside flag. Third time lucky, though, as he showed great composure in the second half to pick his moment and bag a maiden Champions League goal.
Iraola will continue to hand Koumas opportunities, and rightly so. It stands as inspiration for other Liverpool academy members to keep working hard ahead of a possible promotion to serior level.
The Reds have a wealth of up-and-coming talent to consider, but there's one Michael Owen-esque striker who could soon challenge the likes of Koumas for a place in the squad.
The new Michael Owen has arrived at Liverpool
Sometimes, superstars take a while to break out of their cocoon, but not Owen, bursting prodigiously onto the scene with Liverpool and establishing himself as one of the most devastating strikers of his generation.
Michael Owen's career stats (timeless)
Michael Owen's career stats (timeless)
A Ballon d'Or winner, the retired England international's was a career of two halves, questionable career choices and recurring injuries pulling him away from footballing immortality.
Still, his pace and prolific shooting ability was almost inimitable, and at academy level, it looks like Liverpool have found the second coming in Will Wright, who scored a hat-trick and assisted another as the U21s beat LASK U21s on Wednesday afternoon.
The 18-year-old joined the Anfield side from Salford for about £200,000 in 2025, rejecting Arsenal to join the outfit.
This season, he has been in fine form indeed, scoring nine goals and providing two assists across only eight games in all competitions. He is yet to make his professional debut for Liverpool (Wright played four times for Salford's first team), but he spent four weeks on the bench in the Premier League last season, an unused substitute throughout.
Already standing at 6 foot 3, Wright is a rangy player, perhaps somewhat similar in style to Isak, but some circles have suggested that his potent start to life at Liverpool could see him emulate Owen in breaking onto the scene before his time.
Wright will surely be hoping to ask one or two questions relating to Koumas' role at the spearhead of Iraola's system. He might be young, but he is showing disregard to age-related barriers thus far, and if he continues to wreak havoc in the Premier League 2, Iraola must surely give him a chance to shine sooner rather than later.
Time will tell, but Wright is the real deal, and if he realises his boundless potential, there's no question that he will come to outstrip Koumas, maybe those further ahead on the pecking order too.