Iraola's Impact on Liverpool: McConnell and Koumas Rise

Andoni Iraola has not taken long to put his stamp on Liverpool – and two academy graduates are suddenly right at the heart of his plans.

James McConnell and Lewis Koumas, both shuffled to the fringes under Arne Slot, have caught the eye of the new manager in the opening days of his reign. According to journalist Alan Nixon, Iraola has been “blown away” by the pair and is seriously considering keeping them around his first-team squad rather than sending them back out on loan.

For two players who know all about the loan circuit, that is a significant shift.

From loan afterthoughts to serious contenders

McConnell, a 21-year-old midfielder, has already clocked 13 senior appearances for Liverpool but was deemed not quite ready to play every week by Slot, who sent him to Ajax in the summer of 2025. The move was framed as a step in his development, a chance to sharpen his game away from the intensity of Anfield.

Koumas, 20, has had an even more nomadic start. Capable of operating wide or through the middle, the Wales international has just a single Liverpool appearance to his name and has been farmed out to Stoke City, Birmingham City and Hull City. Under Slot, he did not feature at all. McConnell, for his part, managed only four outings during that regime.

Clubs are circling again, keen to take both youngsters on loan. This time, though, Iraola might not pick up the phone.

Nixon reports that the Spaniard has “taken a shine” to the duo and is weighing up promoting them firmly into his first-team set-up next season. The sense inside the club is that their time away from Anfield has hardened them, sharpened them, and earned them “serious respect” from the new boss.

The pre-season defeat to Leeds United may just have underlined that.

Lessons in a 4–2 defeat

Liverpool’s 4–2 loss to Leeds in Sunday’s friendly was not the result Iraola wanted, but he saw enough to call it “probably the most useful friendly” of the summer.

“I think we learn a lot of things,” he said afterwards. “Obviously it’s not the result you want but I think [it was] probably the most useful friendly we played – in a positive way in the first half and in a negative way in the second half.

“I think we’ve learned a lot from today and I think we can take good conclusions and solve some things.”

It was a manager’s answer, but there was an edge to it. The first half, with more control and cohesion, pleased him. The second half, far looser and more chaotic, exposed flaws he now has to fix before the serious business begins.

That is where players like McConnell and Koumas come in. Energy. Hunger. Tactical discipline drilled through years in the academy. If Iraola wants to increase the intensity and responsiveness of his squad, it makes sense that he is drawn to two players who have fought their way back from the margins.

New faces, first steps

The Leeds game also marked first pre-season minutes for three of Iraola’s headline names: Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak and Ryan Gravenberch.

“I think they did really good,” Iraola said. “They played their first 45 minutes.

“Obviously Florian and Alex, because they were playing in the first half, they had an easier game or a better game.

“Ryan, it was costly for him.”

Gravenberch had to contend with that ragged second half, when Liverpool lost their grip on the contest and Leeds took advantage. Jeremie Frimpong, another of the new arrivals, asked to come off, though Iraola moved quickly to calm any injury fears.

“Jeremie asked for the sub [but] I don’t think it’s an injury. It was just some overload and I hope he’s not injured in that way. I don’t think we’ve lost anyone.”

So no fresh damage, just a sting from a 4–2 defeat and a clearer picture of where this Liverpool side stands.

A different kind of opportunity

Pre-season often flatters to deceive. A bright cameo here, a sharp training session there, and youngsters are suddenly talked up before being quietly moved on. McConnell and Koumas have lived that cycle already.

This feels different.

Iraola’s admiration is rooted not in hype but in what they have become after their time away: more rounded, more robust, more ready. The club’s loan department may have lined up another set of destinations for them, but the manager’s instincts are pulling in the opposite direction.

If he follows those instincts, two academy products who were once on the edge of the picture could find themselves running out at Anfield with real responsibility on their shoulders.

In a summer of big names and big expectations, it might be the rise of McConnell and Koumas that tells you most about what this new Liverpool will look like.