Liverpool’s hunt for a new left-back came into sharp focus this week after Andy Robertson’s disastrous showing against Fulham.
There’s little question that Robertson cost the Reds two points on Saturday, with his early red card coming with Liverpool already 1-0 down.
Had it been 11 vs 11 for the full game after Andreas Pereira’s early goal, most would have still felt Liverpool would come back and win at Anfield.
But, a man light and facing a good team, it was always going to be an uphill battle.
Robertson’s sending off was the cherry on top of what has been a poor season for him so far. It has been claimed that Liverpool are actively looking for a left-back to succeed the 30-year-old and it is now clear why.
One player who has been heavily linked with the Reds as a result of that is Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez. And the Cherries own transfer activity may provide a clue into their expectations of losing Kerkez.
Milos Kerkez of Bournemouth during the Premier League match between AFC Bournemouth and West Ham United FC at Vitality Stadium on December 16, 2024...
Photo by Robin Jones – AFC Bournemouth/AFC Bournemouth via Getty Images
Bournemouth pushing for new left-back Julio Soler
For a brief time over the summer it had looked like Liverpool were ready to put their new left-back plan into action.
Liverpool were linked with Julio Soler, a young Argentinian full-back playing for Lanus. However, no move ultimately came about.
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Now, Argentine journalist Uriel Iugt has reported that Bournemouth are pushing to sign Soler, and has claimed that a January move is on the table.
“Bournemouth formally negotiates for Julio Soler,” Iugt reports on X. “As I said a few days ago, England could be his destiny. Lanus is already aware of the offer.”
READ MORE: Jamie Carragher urges Liverpool to sign Milos Kerkez from Bournemouth in January
“If he does move on, the idea is for the full-back to emigrate to the Premier League in this transfer window.”
While Soler looks like a good prospect and it would be a shame for Liverpool to miss out on him, this could be excellent news in their pursuit of Kerkez.
With Soler arriving at Dean Court in the New Year, it could well open the door for their current first choice left-back to make his own move to Anfield.
All signs point to Kerkez
Although it’s possible that Bournemouth could be signing Soler to play as understudy to Kerkez initially, it is clear that the Hungarian will be earning himself a big move in the near future.
There have been initial claims heading into the window that Liverpool are unlikely to move for Kerkez in January. Instead, a summer transfer has been mooted.
However, Robertson’s poor form has shown that it could unfortunately be costly to the Reds in the Premier League title race.
If Bournemouth already have a replacement for Kerkez in the building, then Richard Hughes has to at the very least put pressure on his old club to bring a transfer forward.
This is clearly not definitive in that sense, but Bournemouth sorting out a new left-back ahead of time is a clear and certain hint that they are planning for life after Kerkez.
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