Paul Gorst looks at Liverpool's transfer window so far and what could come next after the £40m arrival of Milos Kerkez
LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 16: Alexander Isak of Newcastle United during the Carabao Cup Final between Liverpool and Newcastle United at Wembley Stadium on March 16, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Jacques Feeney/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
Liverpool continue to be linked with Newcastle United's Alexander Isak
(Image: Jacques Feeney/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
In a summer transfer window that is now on the cusp of spending history for Liverpool, it's fitting that Milos Kerkez breaks some ground of his own at Anfield. The 21-year-old becomes the most expensive left-back of all time on Merseyside at £40m, taking the eye-watering spend of June 2025 to £185m.
That figure includes the £29m spent on Jeremie Frimpong and the £116m spent on Florian Wirtz, who arrived prior to Kerkez's rubber-stamping of his own switch, which was confirmed on Wednesday (June 26).
Throw in the £29m set aside last year for Giorgi Mamardashvilis imminent arrival from Valencia and the £3m paid to Puskas Akademia for young goalkeeper Armin Pecsi and it takes the Premier League champions' outlay to a never-before-seen figure of £217m, with more irons still in the fire.
Alexander Isak continues to be linked with a mega-money move to Liverpool and while reports have circulated in national media around talks of a new deal at St James' Park for the Sweden international, there is likely to be some concern up in the North East about the prospect of the champions setting the sights on their star man.
Outgoings will need to be factored in before the Reds can plot an audacious move for the vaunted Isak but it will certainly be a storyline worth keeping tabs on in the coming weeks, with still so much of the transfer window left to run.
A centre-back of a younger profile is also being targeted as Jarell Quansah closes in on his own £35m move to Bayer Leverkusen and while there is legitimate interest in Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi, Liverpool are insistent they won't be held to the fire over the fee for a player who is inside the final 12 months of his deal at Selhurst Park.
Having now conducted the bulk of their incomings inside the opening third of the player trading period, sporting director Richard Hughes and head coach Arne Slot have afforded themselves plenty of time and space to take a step back and see how the market develops this summer.
The prospect of opting not to replace Quansah this summer is one the Reds are relaxed about at present, with his lack of Premier League minutes used as a factor in the thought process.
Quansah started just one game at centre-back before the title was wrapped up in late April, which came in a 45-minute cameo on the opening weekend at Ipswich Town.
The England Under-21 international was withdrawn for Ibrahima Konate at the break after Slot perceived he was losing too many battles with the combative Liam Delap and from there, the young defender never really regained his place.
His next start in his preferred position that term came at Chelsea in a 3-2 loss in May, when he conceded a penalty and scored an own goal.
BRIGHTON, ENGLAND - MAY 19: Jarell Quansah of Liverpool looks o during the Premier League match between Brighton & Hove Albion FC and Liverpool FC at Amex Stadium on May 19, 2025 in Brighton, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
Jarell Quansah is leaving Liverpool to join Bayer Leverkusen
That said, entering the campaign with just three established centre-halves in Virgil van Dijk, Konate and Joe Gomez, whose last Premier League appearance came in December, would understandably cause some unease.
Last summer, Leny Yoro was a transfer target at Lille, with Liverpool viewing his age, quality and potential to develop as ideal traits to become a mainstay of their defence. Real Madrid's interest complicated matters before Manchester United made it clear they were able to offer more regular minutes sooner than both the Reds and los Blancos.
Liverpool were also interested in Dean Huijsen after an outstanding campaign at Bournemouth but having broken into the Spain side during his one year with the Cherries, Real Madrid triggered his £50m release clause to complete a dream move for the young centre-back.
As a result, the Premier League champions' search for a younger centre-back goes on and while the admiration for Guehi is clear, his general profile, as someone who turns 25 next month, is not viewed in that same bracket. A move for the England international would likely not deter the wider search for someone younger.
The more immediate question at Anfield following Kerkez's arrival is what it means for Andy Robertson and Kostas Tsimikas. Liverpool won't keep three senior left-backs on their books and both have seen interest registered in their services to varying degrees.
Atletico Madrid continue to weigh up a possible move for Scotland captain Robertson, who is into the final year of his Anfield terms, while newly-promoted Leeds United and Nottingham Forest have both been linked with Greece international Tsimikas.
The decision to allow Robertson to leave would be taken with a heavy heart on Merseyside, with the long-serving left-back a hugely popular figure behind the scenes across all departments.
Speaking in April, Robertson insisted he felt he was far from past his best, telling Jamie Carragher at a Football For Change charity event: "No look, I've had eight wonderful years so far and I have a year left. I am not as young as I once was but I love this club and I have had some great memories here, so let's see what the future holds.
"I still believe I can still produce good performances and some really good performances and I think I have done that this season, so I still think I can produce at the top level and if I can do that then that is where I belong and hopefully I can stay here for many years to come."
Whether Robertson stays or not, the £40m deal for Kerkez represents a statement signing for a club who have once more shown they are prepared to pay the required fees to land their No.1 targets.
And while the current incumbent is a legendary figure who may still have a part to play at Anfield, the new man is a further indication of a club moving away from the core of a playing squad that brought so much success during Jurgen Klopp's time as manager.
KIRKBY, ENGLAND - JUNE 26: (THE SUN OUT, THE SUN ON SUNDAY OUT) Milos Kerkez new signing for Liverpool FC at AXA Training Centre on June 26, 2025 in Kirkby, England. (Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Milos Kerkez new signing for Liverpool at the AXA Training Centre on June 26, 2025 in Kirkby, England
For Kerkez, it completes a dream move for a player who had been desperate to move to Anfield since it was made known to him that his performances at the Vitality Stadium had made the Reds sit up and take note.
The 21-year-old coyly hinted Liverpool had been paying close attention in a reply to a tweet bemoaning his lack of inclusion in the Premier League's Young Player of the Year nominees on X, replying: "Don’t worry, someone else saw it" accompanied by a winking emoji.
Sporting director Hughes has been integral to the deal that has brought Kerkez in from the south coast. The Reds chief has been in talks with his friend and now counterpart at Bournemouth Simon Francis over the package and Kerkez's father, Sebastijan, was fulsome in his words of respect for Hughes on the Super Indirektno podcast last week.
“It’s only Liverpool for us and we’re not going anywhere else and we won’t talk to other clubs,” Kerkez senior said. “Everything is done between us [personal terms] and we just need to sort out some details, but it’s basically a done deal.
“We made that decision. Richard Hughes brought us to Bournemouth, and he’s a man who keeps his promises. If he said we go to India, then we go to India. Everything is agreed, just some little things.”
A new life in the Indian Super League won't be necessary for Kerkez. Instead, it is the move of a lifetime for the Hungary captain and the hard work starts now as Liverpool take another sizable step away from the house that Klopp built.