Liverpool are closing in on in-demand Bournemouth full-back Milos Kerkez as the Premier League leaders step up their search for squad reinforcements ahead of the summer.
Kerkez has long been identified as Andrew Robertson’s long-term replacement at left-back, but with Real Madrid, Manchester United, Manchester City and Arsenal all having expressed an interest, Liverpool are trying to get on the front foot and are making moves now.
Contact has been made with Kerkez’s representatives, The i Paper has been told, while Liverpool have made initial contact with Bournemouth, but no bid has been tabled yet.
Bournemouth will not sell for less than £40m, according to sources.
Competition for the Hungary international’s signature has caused Liverpool to speed up the process.
Should Trent Alexander-Arnold leave for Madrid in the summer, a right-back will also need to be sought. That will not, however, scupper any potential Kerkez deal going through.
Liverpool had lined up Kerkez as part of a three-man left-back shortlist, sources said, with Bayern Munich’s Alphonso Davies and Paris Saint-Germain full-back Nuno Mendes their top picks.
Both, however, have signed new contracts recently so Kerkez is now the number one choice. Ajax’s Jorrel Hato is another player Arne Slot is considering for the left-back slot.
Kerkez is understood to favour a move to Liverpool over the other options. A link-up with Liverpool director of football Richard Hughes, the man who brought Kerkez to England during his time on the south coast, is one of the reasons the 21-year-old sees himself at Anfield.
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Kerkez has also changed agents recently – Fali Ramadani – an experienced figure who has worked extensively with Liverpool before and oversaw Federico Chiesa’s move to Anfield last summer.
Bournemouth, who have become one of the top flight’s market leaders at succession planning in recent years, already have their long-term left-back replacement in place, after they completed the capture of Julio Soler from Argentinian side Lanus in January, in a deal that could rise to £11.5m.
Robertson has remained a mainstay in Slot’s machine this season, one that appeared on course for multiple trophies just a few weeks ago.
However, an early Champions League exit and defeat in the Carabao Cup final to Newcastle at the weekend has led to questions over the depth of Slot’s squad, after the club only made one major addition to the squad, injury-hit Chiesa, last summer.
Kerkez could become the second player to move from Bournemouth to Liverpool in the summer, with the Reds understood to be willing to pay the £50m release clause to sign 19-year-old centre-back Dean Huijsen.
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