Bournemouth defender Milos Kerkez has emerged as one of the Premier League’s finest left backs this season, thereby attracting interest from a number of clubs, including Liverpool and Manchester United.
The two rivals are expected to be in the market for a left full back sooner rather than later and with Kerkez having a breakthrough season in the English top flight, Sky Sports Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg has reported that he is being pursued by Liverpool and United heading into 2025.
While Liverpool are thinking about life after Andy Robertson, 30, Ruben Amorim wants a more immediate solution given Luke Shaw’s and Tyrell Malacia’s frail fitness. The Red Devils are likely to show more urgency for any player they could get easily, though it is claimed by Plettenberg that Kerkez is ‘not curently at the top of their list’.
He is reportedly valued by Bournemouth at £40 million, so Liverpool and Man Utd will need to be prepared to pay a handsome sum if they want to get their hands on Kerkez.
United might trump Liverpool to Kerkez
Milos Kerkez is just 21 but he is playing regular minutes at Bournemouth and is unlikely to want to compromise on his playing time, especially at a budding stage of his career.
If he were to join Liverpool next year, he could spend the early days of his career playing second fiddle to Andy Robertson. That would not be the case at Man United with Amorim said to be looking for a player who can be his primary option right from the word go. Also, the Hungarian’s offensive qualities would be better utilised in the position of a wing back at Old Trafford.
Liverpool’s immediate priority would be holding onto Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk, so their interest in a left back might not even be as urgent as the media suggests, whereas it could not be any clearer that Manchester United require a signing in that position.
Bournemouth are unlikely to let go of Kerkez in the winter but after rumours swirled around his future earlier this year as well, it will be hard for them to retain the left back beyond the end of this season.