A Liverpool transfer is off and an alternative deal worth £17m has quickly been agreed, while a third move could also now take shape, according to reports.
Liverpool’s summer spending soared past the £200m mark upon announcing the arrival of Milos Kerkez on Thursday. The Hungary international, 21, cost £40m to sign from Bournemouth and penned a five-year contract.
Liverpool moved for a new left-back amid growing concerns Andy Robertson’s days as an elite defender are done.
The ageing Scot showed troubling signs of decline last term and only has one year remaining on his contract. Earning a new deal appears unlikely at this stage.
With Kerkez primed to become Arne Slot’s new starter at left-back, Robertson warmed to the idea of leaving Liverpool to continue being a regular starter elsewhere.
Atletico Madrid registered their interest and held positive talks with the 31-year-old. However, The LaLiga giant hoped to secure a deal by either paying a nominal transfer fee or no fee at all.
Atletico Madrid were banking on Liverpool opening up to a cut-price exit out of respect for Robertson’s stellar career at Anfield. However, Liverpool are not a charity and while Robertson is adored on Merseyside, football is a business.
As such, Fabrizio Romano has now brought news of Atleti swooping for Atalanta’s Matteo Ruggeri instead. With that move worth €20m / £17m on the cusp of completion, Robertson’s switch has collapsed.
“The Italian left wing-back, Matteo Ruggeri, leaves Atalanta and joins Atletico Madrid,”declared Romano on his YouTube channel. “He will be in Madrid in the next hours for medical tests and contract signing.
“New left-back for Diego Simeone, total package worth €20m. But also important to say that probably with this move we don’t expect Andy Robertson to go to Atletico Madrid anymore.
“Robertson was a candidate, a strong candidate for Atletico Madrid. They had concrete conversations and the player was taking his time to decide his future also out of respect to Liverpool where he’s still loving the club and fans and all the people at the club.
“Also it’s important to say Atletico Madrid wanted to pay a very small transfer fee or [secure] a free transfer from Liverpool.
“That was not possible, Liverpool wanted their conditions to be respected, the player took his time so Atletico decided to go for a completely different type of player also in age and so Ruggeri is joining.”
Three into one doesn’t go
TEAMtalk reported on Liverpool’s interest in Kerkez long before the January window, never mind the summer one.
The Reds had installed Kerkez as their priority target at left-back and heading into the winter window, there were suggestions Liverpool could pounce mid-season.
However, Liverpool chose to keep their powder dry after believing it made little sense to harbour three senior and established left-backs in the same squad.
With Kerkez now banked, Liverpool are fully expected to let one of their other left-backs depart. Give Robertson is no longer heading to Atletico Madrid, Kostas Tsimikas’ days could be numbered.
Commentator and pundit, Ian Darke, is one figure within the game who believes the Greece international will be sacrificed.
Darke told Liverpool News: “I’m not sure what the inside track is within the club, but you would think that with Milos Kerkez’s signing from Bournemouth, it will be him and Robertson competing for the position.
“So, yes, it does look like he would become surplus to requirements, and of course, clubs do have to sort of balance the books and there has been a throughput of players.
“I think while he hasn’t been a sensational signing for Liverpool, he has proved to be quite a useful one to rotate with Robertson, here and there.
“I think he is the kind of player who would be a good signing for one of the promoted clubs.”
If Tsimikas is sold and Robertson departs when his contract expires next summer, Liverpool would need to sign another left-back one year from now to compete with Kerkez.
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