Liverpool are ‘preparing to enter talks’ over the signing of Milos Kerkez, after learning the exact price Bournemouth will demand for the Hungarian and with Arne Slot now set to show a surprise player the Anfield exit door
Slot has taken his time to assess the pros and cons of the Liverpool squad he inherited from Jurgen Klopp last summer, using his first season in charge to decide who fitted into his football ethos and which of those players would fall short. And with the capture of a new left-back seen as paramount this summer, the Liverpool manager, alongside sporting director Richard Hughes, has been assessing the merits of three players
The Hungarian full-back has been one of the standout players this year in the Premier League and sides are queuing up to try and land his signature this summer. Sources expect him to leave Bournemouth and the 20-year-old will evaluate all his options this week.
The left-back position is a key recruitment area for Liverpool this summer; with Andy Robertson showing signs of slowing down, Slot wants to sign a new player for that position. Sources have told us that Bournemouth star Kerkez is the top left-back target for Liverpool.
The Premier League leaders have been following the Hungary international all season and have been hugely impressed with him. They have been in close contact for almost a year and have made it clear to his camp they want him at Anfield.
Real Madrid are also very keen on Kerkez, but sources at Bournemouth are extremely keen on keeping hold of the promising defender. However, there is an acceptance from the Cherries that Kerkez will likely leave this summer.
There are also options in Germany and Italy but it’s thought that Liverpool and Madrid are both at the front of the line and ready to pay out for his services.
Kerkez is under contract at Bournemouth until 2028, and the Cherries are in a strong position when it comes to negotiating a good transfer fee for him. Bournemouth could also lose 22-year-old Ukraine international centre-back Illya Zabarnyi and 19-year-old Spanish central defender Dean Huijsen, with Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur interested in them.
It’s a big week for Kerkez and by the end of the international break the direction of his future will have far more clarity.
Liverpool transfer roundup
TEAMtalk can also confirm Liverpool are one of the sides on the trail of Argentine attacking midfielder, Franco Mastantuono
Mastantuono is expected to leave River Plate this summer and has a host of European giants queuing up for him, with his current club preparing themselves for a potential offer from the Reds.
Meanwhile, sources state that Liverpool could listen to offers for Diogo Jota this summer after Wolves put him on their shortlist for a return to Molineux and an asking price was named.