Liverpool battle Man United for 'prime candidate' in Premier League whose name has 'come up again and again'
Liverpool could be in for an interesting January transfer window following a more quiet summer period. The Reds made two recruits in Federico Chiesa and Giorgi Mamardashvili, but the latter will not join up with his new teammates until the end of the season.
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Hide AdDespite Arne Slot inheriting a strong squad at Anfield, the club are looking to make more new signings once 2025 rolls in and there are several areas in need of strengthening. A new defensive midfielder remains a top priority, and the backline is also due to be strengthened following the departure of Joël Matip and last season’s injury crisis.
Liverpool are looking for a new centre-back but they are also interested in left-sided options too. According to TEAMtalk, Liverpool ‘continue to watch’ Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez as they monitor potential new options at left-back. Andy Robertson turned 30 in March and Kostas Tsimikas is reportedly not viewed as the successor to the Scotland captain by club recruiters.
Kerkez’s name is one that has ‘come up again and again’ and he has been ‘continually watched’ by the Reds. The 20-year-old signed for the Cherries last summer and he has been attracting more than just Liverpool’s attention. Manchester United and Chelsea have both been linked with Kerkez, as well as interest from Bundesliga and Serie A outfits.
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Hide AdThe Hungarian is regarded as a young talent with a ‘very good future at the top of the game’ and he has become a ‘prime candidate’ for Slot’s side. Just a year after signing with Bournemouth from AZ Alkmaar for an undisclosed fee, the Cherries were fighting off interest in their left-back over the summer. However, some were ‘very surprised’ Kerkez did not ‘make a big move’ while the transfer window was open.
With Liverpool and United both seemingly the main runners in this race, the report claims that Bournemouth aren’t going to make it easy for any side to sign Kerkez in January. It will cost a substantial fee to sign the left-back halfway through the season — he is currently valued at €20 million (£17m) but it is to be expected that the board at Bournemouth will be pushing for more.
While Liverpool are planning to recruit someone to potentially succeed Robertson and play back-up in the meantime, United are also looking for new left-back options amid ongoing injury struggles with Luke Shaw.
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