Liverpool are leading the race to sign Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez with contact already made with his representatives, according to a new report.
It is widely accepted that Liverpool will eventually need to sign a new first-choice left-back, with Andy Robertson struggling for consistency and Kostas Tsimikas not able to overtake him in the pecking order.
While that is unlikely to come in the January transfer window, it is now claimed that the process has begun to bring in Robertson’s successor.
The i Paper reports that Liverpool are among the sides to have contacted Kerkez’s representatives with a view to completing a deal with Bournemouth.
Man United and Man City are reportedly in the same position but the 21-year-old “favours a move to Anfield over the Manchester clubs.”
This comes partly due to his relationship with sporting director Richard Hughes, who signed the Hungarian from AZ Alkmaar in 2023 after spells with Gyor and AC Milan.
It is explained that Bournemouth “have no plans to sell in January,” despite signing left-back Julio Soler in a deal worth up to £11.5 million earlier this month.
However, while there have been “no concrete proposals” and there is “no pressure to sell,” the Cherries are said to see “offers in the region of £50 million” as acceptable for Kerkez.
Interestingly, the i Paper‘s report adds that Wolves‘ Rayan Ait-Nouri would be Liverpool’s alternative were they unable to sign Kerkez.
And to perhaps add legitimacy to their claims regarding the Bournemouth player, journalists Pete Hall and Mark Douglas explain that the south-coast club hold no interest in Ben Doak.
Earlier this week, reports in Middlesbrough suggested Liverpool could use Doak in a swap deal for striker Antoine Semenyo, thus ending the Scot’s loan at Riverside.
Kerkez would be many supporters’ ideal addition at left-back, owing to his relentless energy on that flank along with the robustness he offers in defence.
So far this season the Hungary international has scored once and assisted three times in 22 appearances, including two assists in a 2-1 victory over Man City in November.
Though born in Serbia, he chose to represent Hungary at international level and finds himself captained by Dominik Szoboszlai.
Having only turned 21, the left-back has already lived and played in Serbia, Austria, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands and now England in his club career, while he speaks Serbian, Hungarian, German and English.
Kerkez played Arne Slot‘s Feyenoord twice while at AZ Alkmaar, losing both, while he faced Liverpool U19s twice in 2021/22 with AC Milan‘s youth side, coming up against the likes of Conor Bradley and Tyler Morton.
Fan Comments