Birmingham City have Lewis Koumas on loan from Premier League champions Liverpool
18:01, 15 Jan 2026Updated 18:14, 15 Jan 2026
Birmingham City and Liverpool have agreed to extend the window in which the Premier League champions can recall Lewis Koumas.
Liverpool originally had to inform Blues whether they planned to recall Koumas by January 15 but owing to the winger’s recent run in the team, coupled with Demarai Gray’s injury, an agreement has been struck to extend the window.
Koumas is now likely to get at least the next two Championship matches against Swansea City and Sheffield Wednesday, possibly the Stoke City game on January 24 too, before a definitive decision is made.
“We have extended that (loan recall window)," Blues boss Chris Davies confirmed to BirminghamLive. “He’s playing and doing well.
“We’ve had discussions with Liverpool and everyone is happy right now. He’s with us and an important player. He’s enjoying his football right now.
“We want to make sure Lewis is happy. From the club side, Liverpool, and everyone is on the same page. Right now, as we speak, he has just been in the team for two games in a row, got a goal and done well, I think all parties see it as let’s let him focus on the next few matches and see where it goes from there.”
Davies is eager to do right by Koumas and the final decision on his loan will undoubtedly be affected by the transfer business Blues complete before the end of the window.
A deal for Gambian winger Abdoulie Manneh collapsed earlier this week but Blues are still eager to strengthen in that position, which means Koumas will face fierce competition for minutes if he remains at St Andrew's @ Knighthead Park.
But, crucially for Koumas, confidence is starting to flow after a breakthrough game against Coventry City two weeks ago and another solid showing at Cambridge in the cup.
Reflecting on Koumas’s improved form, Davies said: “Pretty much every player is a confidence player but you don’t hear them say it. Lewis is very honest and he’s a nice personality.
“He’s been really limited in game time through my decisions. I’ve gone for someone else in his position.
“He had a little run previously when we played Swansea, he played the home game and had a good performance, and he’s been chomping at the bit to play.
“But he’s been training and getting on with it. He got his chance and scored in a massive game at home. You only need a moment to ignite and change your time at a club and hopefully that’s it for him.
“I was really keen to get him in for his speed. I think he’d rank as one of or if not our quickest player, and he’s got that intensity. He makes a lot of forward runs and I like how he presses.
“There’s a good player in there, definitely, and we want to make sure that he is getting what he needs and that everyone is happy and, at the moment, everyone is, so we keep going.”