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Liverpool’s Progression: Milos Kerkez Could be the Next Step

With the departure of Jurgen Klopp on the horizon for Liverpool, the next steps in the club’s progression are proving to be a key talking point. With the Reds’ long-term iconic manager set to leave the club, it has served as a reminder that several key long-term players could be edging towards the end of their Liverpool careers.

That logic applies mostly to the likes of Virgil Van Dijk, Alisson Becker, Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson. It’s the progression of the latter that we will be considering today, as we look at who could be Liverpool’s next left-back when Robertson decides his time is up at Anfield.

20-year-old Milos Kerkez has been a name regularly discussed in this conversation, with the youngster becoming one of the hottest prospects in European football over recent years.

Photo by IMAGO

Who is Milos Kerkez?

Milos Kerkez is a 20-year-old left-back currently playing for fellow Premier League side, AFC Bournemouth. Despite suffering from a few minor injuries this season, the Hungarian has still managed to rack up 22 appearances across all competitions for the Cherries.

The youngster joined Bournemouth last summer from Dutch side AZ, in a move worth £15 million. Kerkez had made 57 appearances for AZ, scoring five goals and assisting a further eight during his time at the club.

His impressive club form has already earned him 13 senior appearances for the Hungarian National Team, where he has proven his quality on the international stage, too.

How Likely Is a Move?

At the moment, it’s purely just rumours linking Kerkez with a move to Anfield. However, it’s hard to see Kerkez turning down the opportunity for a move to Liverpool, should the opportunity arise.

Transfermarkt currently values the defender at approximately £18 million, but a move for the youngster would likely cost closer to the £30 million mark. With Kerkez only moving to Bournemouth in the summer, his contract will likely expire in 2028, making the move slightly more difficult to pull off.

How Would Kerkez Fit in at Liverpool?

Perhaps the most impressive trait of Kerkez is his tactical flexibility. The 20-year-old is a brilliant defender, possessing a lot of tenacity and raw strength. However, he’s also more than capable of providing an impressive creative outlet down the left-hand side.

He may not have the finesse that Liverpool fans have seen from Andy Robertson, but he does make similar direct offensive runs that cause opposition full-backs all sorts of problems.

Kerkez’s defensive ability is clear to see when you look at his impressive defensive duels per 90 minutes. It’s even more impressive when you compare his numbers to other Premier League defenders, as pointed out by Bence Bocsak.

Kerkez: Yes or No?

Signing Kerkez could be a brilliant piece of business from Liverpool, especially for the right price. However, the timing would be really interesting for this move.

The 20-year-old would likely benefit from being a rotational option behind Robertson for a season or two, before becoming a key player at Anfield. That would mean that Kostas Tsimikas would likely need to make way for a potential Kerkez arrival.

However, the Greek international only signed a new contract at Liverpool earlier this season and isn’t expected to leave the club anytime soon. Therefore, a move for Kerkez could be one to look out for in the long term rather than a potential move this summer.

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