While Arne Slot gave playing time to several Liverpool youngsters during the pre-season tour in the USA, some players were left behind. Billy Koumetio was among those not included in the squad, indicating his current standing at Anfield.
According to Football Insider, Liverpool has informed the 21-year-old defender that he is free to find a new club before the transfer window closes on 30 August, as he is not part of Slot’s plans.
Koumetio, who has drawn interest from Scottish and Football League sides, is expected to make a permanent move, especially since his contract expires next summer.
Koumetio likely realized his uncertain future at Liverpool when he was excluded from the U.S. tour. His recent loan spells at Austria Vienna, Dunkerque, and Blackburn, where he played just 21 games in total, did not bolster his case.
His only senior appearances for Liverpool were in a Champions League game against Midtjylland in December 2020 and a Carabao Cup quarter-final against Leicester a year later.
Jarell Quansah, younger by two months, has since surpassed him in the first-team pecking order.
Liverpool currently exceeds the maximum squad limit of 25 ‘overage’ players for domestic and European competitions, including Koumetio, who turns 22 in November but qualifies as ‘homegrown’.
For Slot to sign players like Anthony Gordon, Giorgi Mamardashvili, or Willian Pacho, he needs to sell or loan out current squad members or omit some peripheral players entirely.
It would be unfair for Koumetio to be left sidelined, so a transfer to another club would be beneficial for his career, allowing him to realize the potential that once earned him a spot in Liverpool’s first team.
