Liverpool set to beat Man Utd and City to signing of 'next Andy Robertson'

Posted Thursday, January 16, 2025 by inews.co.uk

Kerkez has started every Premier League match this season for Bournemouth

Liverpool are planning to gazump rivals Manchester United and Manchester City to sign Milos Kerkez as Andy Robertson's successor at left-back.

The impressive Bournemouth defender has attracted an army of suitors since arriving in England in the summer of 2023.

The i Paper has been told Liverpool, City and United have already started to make contact with the player's representatives, but it is understood the 21-year-old favours a move to Anfield over the Manchester clubs.

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 understood to play a major part in the Hungary international's thinking.

Bournemouth have no plans to sell in January, despite signing a ready-made left-back replacement in Julio Soler from Argentinian side Lanus already this month, in a deal that could rise to £11.5m.

There have been no concrete proposals for Kerkez as yet for either side. There is no pressure to sell from Bournemouth's point of view but offers in the region of £50m is where they are understood to be willing to do business.

This season, while all else around him has been near imperious during Arne Slot's impressive first season at Anfield, Robertson has showed signs of weariness after being a major cog in Jurgen Klopp's high-octane Liverpool machine.

The 30-year-old, for so long an immovable figure at left-back, has seen his place in the starting XI come under threat. Ever since Kostas Tsimikas walked in the door, the Greece international has been very much a back-up for Robertson. Now a growing number of supporters want to see the pair trade places.

Robertson's attacking threat has diminished this season. He and Trent Alexander-Arnold were a double act to be feared during the peak Klopp years, but Robertson is yet to register a single Premier League assist this season, from 18 starts.

Tsimikas stepped off the bench to set up Diogo Jota's equaliser at Nottingham Forest on Tuesday 20 seconds after coming on.

United are also very much in the hunt for a left-back, with Ruben Amorim making a major signing in that position a priority.

With Kerkez understood to be currently favouring an Anfield switch, Paris Saint-Germain's Nuno Mendes remains their top pick.

If a move for Kerkez does not materialise, for whatever reason, Wolves' Rayan Ait-Nouri is thought to be next on Liverpool's hitlist.

Hughes, however, is understood to be prioritising another Kerkez swoop.

The i Paper also understands that, contrary to reports, there is no Bournemouth interest in Liverpool forward Ben Doak at this stage and they will not entertain offers that involve swapping Doak for Antoine Semenyo.