According to a recent report by ESPN FC, Liverpool have completed the transfer of Billy Koumetio from US Orleans for what is reported to be a nominal fee. The same report has also revealed that the Ligue 2 youngster had a trial with the Reds last year and travelled with the club’s Under-17 side to Berlin to take part in some friendlies back in November.
The Merseyside giants had recently bolstered their academy by bringing in players such as Ki-Jana Hoever from AFC Ajax, Isaac Christie-Davies from Chelsea, Bobby Duncan from Manchester City and Matteo Ritaccio as a free agent in recent transfer windows.
Hoever even got a chance to impress in Jurgen Klopp’s starting XI earlier this season when he came on as a first-half substitute to replace the injured Dejan Lovren. He managed to put in a mature display at the Molineaux Stadium which earned him a lot of plaudits from pundits and fans alike.
The Dutch starlet’s recent rise to the top level proves that signing talented youngsters such as Koumetio remains a key part of the club’s plans for a bigger and brighter future at Anfield. As mentioned earlier, the French starlet earned his move to Liverpool after impressing during his trial with the Reds. So it is expected that he can have a similar kind of impact to what Hoever has achieved at the red half of Merseyside so far.
The French prospect will now join the Liverpool Under-16 team and try to work his way up the youth ranks to hopefully play for the club’s senior team someday. He is primarily a left-sided centre-half who started his football career with Olympique Lyonnais in 2014 before making a switch to US Orleans to play in the French Ligue 2.
It might take him some time to settle into life at Merseyside because the youngster will arrive from a different culture and different style of football to what Liverpool is all about. Moreover, it won’t be easy for Koumetio to cope with the physicality and high intensity of football in England.
Having said that, the French starlet has already had a trial with the club and featured in a match against Hertha Berlin last year, playing in his natural centre-back position. So he would have a clear idea of what he is getting into before his permanent move to the club. Koumetio is undoubtedly a player to look out for in the future as he attempts to impress in the Kirkby Academy and earn a senior contract with the Merseyside club.
