Blackburn Rovers have completed the signing of Liverpool defender Billy Koumetio on transfer deadline day subject to international clearance.
The 21-year-old will spend the remainder of the 2023-24 campaign with Jon Dahl Tomasson’s Championship side after finalising a temporary switch.
Koumetio began his youth career with his hometown team, Lyon, before moving to Anfield from Orléans in 2018.
His debut for Liverpool came in a Champions League group game against FC Midtjylland in December 2020. He later marked a milestone by starting in his first game for the club, featuring in a League Cup tie against Leicester City a year later.
Renowned for his robust and athletic defensive prowess, Koumetio sought additional first-team exposure through a loan stint at the Austrian Bundesliga side, Austria Vienna, during the 2022-23 season.
He spent the initial half of the current season on loan with USL Dunkerque, further enhancing his experience on the field.
The Frenchman becomes the fourth player in recent seasons to join Rovers on loan from Liverpool, following the notable paths of Harvey Elliott, Leighton Clarkson, and Tyler Morton.
After putting pen to paper, he said to RoversTV: “It’s a very good feeling and, with the lads I know who have played here before, I know about the great experience they had at the club.
“It’s a great club, I can’t wait to start and have good experiences with the team.
“While Tyler was playing, I’d send him messages and you could see how happy he was. When he came back, we had some chats and I was really happy to see how happy he was for himself and for both clubs.
“I know that this is a very good opportunity and there’s something I can improve on and add for my career on a daily basis.
“It could be mentally, it could be in games, but there’s always something I can take if I give everything I can. This is a good step for my career. This is senior football and we know how intense it is and how big it is.
“It can be about how you react after games, how you prepare before games. We’ve all prepared because we’ve come through the academy systems when we were younger, but this is the chance to step into the senior game and this is the battle, this is real life,” he added enthusiastically.
“There will be more focus than ever before to improve and learn, which will help me become even better and to help the team.
“It’s a big step, I’m aware of that. We learn a lot in the academy system and there’s a lot of investment put into the lads, but now is the chance to really see the input from all those years and bring things out to show your value to the team, because this isn’t an individual sport.
“It’s a big move and it’s exciting because it’s a challenge, and I like challenges! I’m calm and confident regarding my qualities. I’ll give everything I have for the club to profit, the team to profit, that’s the mindset I have.
“I will give everything in every single minute and I’m ready for every occasion.”
Rovers’ Director of Football Gregg Broughton said: “With Hayden Carter’s injury, we wanted to ensure that we could add pace and physicality to the team, and Billy brings both of those attributes to us.
“This is his third senior loan spell, so this isn’t a player who’s just coming out of Under-21s football, and I think the fans will be really, really excited to see him play.”
Blackburn currently sit 18th in the Championship and will face Queens Park Rangers next on Saturday.
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