City looked to have missed out on another summer target
11:09, 22 Aug 2025
Lewis Koumas is set to join Championship rivals Birmingham City
Lewis Koumas is set to join Championship rivals Birmingham City(Image: Dan Istitene/Getty Images)
Winger Lewis Koumas has been a player of interest for Hull City all summer, and a move for the Liverpool youngster was talked about long before the club were hit by the EFL's stern punishment.
That interest has not gone away and the club have continued to hold talks with the reigning Premier League champions, but so, too, have a host of other clubs who are not hamstrung by a transfer fee ban.
Birmingham City look to have snapped up the 19-year-old on loan for the season, and the Blues getting a deal done will have annoyed the Tigers, but it's not the first time they've been gazumped this summer.
Another Liverpool youngster, Owen Beck, was close to a move to the MKM Stadium, but those hopes were ended when City were hit by their ban. Ironically, Beck is now out injured after joining Derby County and linking up with John Eustace, who he played under last season at Blackburn Rovers.
City were also keen to sign Matija Frigan, the Croatian striker. Boss Sergej Jakirovic made it clear publicly that he wanted the 22-year-old forward at the MKM Stadium, but that deal also collapsed.
Frigan joined Parma earlier this month in a deal worth up to 10m euros. However, in a cruel twist of fate, the ex-Westerlo frontman damaged his ACL in training and is out for a lengthy period.
Louie Barry is the obvious one, and the deal that sparked a chain of events which ultimately led to City being slapped with a three-window transfer fee ban, which was later reduced to two on appeal.
Barry was on the cusp of a £3.5m move to the MKM Stadium before heading to Sheffield United after his switch from Aston Villa to the MKM Stadium ended up being dead in the water.
There have been other players this summer that City have wanted to bring to the club, and probably would have done, but for the restrictions being in place. It's a consequence of the situation they're in.
Ultimately, City have been punished by the EFL and the restrictions placed on the Tigers are supposed to act as a punishment and a deterrent to other clubs.
If the Tigers could continue to trade as normal, then there would be no deterrent, and all clubs would look to exploit the rules that are in place for a reason, and agreed upon by those clubs, including City, who take part in the Championship.
Working under a business plan imposed on them by the EFL's financial reporting unit (CFRU) means they have an annual wage cap, as we've previously reported, and they've now hit the limit which means they cannot sign anyone else until senior players leave, and that's something they'll be working on between now and the window closing on Monday week at 7pm.
Despite the issues they've had to contend with this summer, the club have still been able to make good signings and strengthen their squad, and that group of players working under Jakirovic will ensure they're competitive this term.
Undeniably a young talent, Koumas would have been a good addition. But on the flanks, City have Joel Ndala who looks a real prospect, David Akintola has arrived, Joe Gelhardt has proven he can be a threat off the sides, and then there's the small matter of £10m worth of talent coming back in Mohamed Belloumi and Liam Millar. Abu Kamara may be on the way out, but City still have enough wide options, assuming the two returning stars aren't hit by injuries after such long spells out.
For the next few months, at least, City have got to continue to be creative in the market and use their abilities that we've seen before to attract players because it can no longer be solely about the money.
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