Liverpool are expected to be in the running for Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez when the Hungary international goes on the market in the summer.
Kerkez, 21, will command a fee upward of £40 million at the end of the campaign after seeing his value increase in the last two seasons following his move from AZ Alkmaar in the Netherlands, in a deal worth £15.5 million.
He was signed at the Vitality Stadium by Richard Hughes, Bournemouth’s technical director at the time who has since moved to Anfield as sporting director where he has a key role in transfers and planning future deals for Liverpool head coach Arne Slot.
Kerkez is thought to be on Liverpool’s radar for when they look at bolstering their options at left-back, should they add competition to Andy Robertson and Konstantinos Tsimikas in that position. Other clubs in Europe are set to be part of the race for Kerkez.
Liverpool, the champions-elect, have been reliant on Robertson, who turns 31 this month, since his arrival from Hull City in 2017, while Tsimikas has been back-up for the past five seasons since joining from Olympiacos.
Much of the focus this season has been on whether Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold will agree new deals, but, regardless of their future, Liverpool are expected to add to Slot’s squad this summer after an excellent first season in charge/
Kerkez has established himself as one of the biggest left-back prospects in Europe over the past two seasons, with Bournemouth beating competition from Lazio to land him from AZ and giving him a platform to showcase his talent.
The Serbia-born defender was at AC Milan as a youngster, but earned his breakthrough in senior football at AZ, where he was a regular in the Eredivisie before Bournemouth made their move.
