Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes has successfully negotiated a bargain deal with his former club Bournemouth to bring Milos Kerkez to Anfield, with David Ornstein and Fabrizio Romano providing all the details.
TEAMtalk has been providing you with exclusive updates on Liverpool’s interest in Kerkez for a year, courtesy of our transfer insider Fraser Fletcher. Liverpool know they need a replacement for Andy Robertson at left-back and have had Kerkez as their No 1 target for months.
The 21-year-old has excelled at Bournemouth since joining the Cherries from Dutch club AZ in July 2023, drawing comparisons with a younger version of Robertson due to his marauding runs down the left flank.
Kerkez has a great engine and fantastic crossing ability but is also solid defensively. He is still very young and has the potential to develop into one of the Premier League’s very best full-backs.
Florian Plettenberg revealed earlier on Friday that Kerkez to Liverpool can be considered a ‘done deal’ and Ornstein and Romano have now followed up with big updates of their own.
Per Ornstein, Liverpool have ‘reached an agreement with Bournemouth to sign Kerkez’ in a deal worth £40million (€47m / $54m).
Bournemouth had been hoping to pick up £45m (€53m / $61m), but Hughes has utilised his close relationship with those at the Cherries to get a £5m discount.
Ornstein adds that Kerkez will undergo a medical ‘next week’ before penning a five-year contract and being officially announced as a Liverpool player.
Romano, meanwhile, has given the transfer his ‘here we go’ stamp of approval, with the deal ‘all agreed’ between the two sides.
The move was ‘never in doubt’ in recent weeks, with Kerkez eager to sign for Liverpool and improve under Arne Slot.
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The Hungary international is due to become Liverpool’s third signing of the summer transfer window. Jeremie Frimpong has already joined from Bayer Leverkusen and Florian Wirtz is due to follow him in a record-breaking £116m (€136m / $156m) deal.
Sources previously informed TEAMtalk that both Manchester City and Real Madrid were interested in Kerkez, but Liverpool have fought those clubs off and got their man.
It had initially been thought that Kerkez would rival Robertson for the starting spot at left-back and that Liverpool would sell current backup Kostas Tsimikas.
However, Atletico Madrid are keen on signing Robertson this summer, while TEAMtalk can reveal the Scotland captain’s dream transfer.
Sources confirmed to us on June 4 that Liverpool were on the verge of finalising a deal for Kerkez, and that has now happened.
We revealed on June 5 that Liverpool will give the player a five-year deal that includes the option of an extra 12 months.
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