Liverpool have brought in Milos Kerkez from Bournemouth in a deal worth £40m as the Reds take their summer spending to £170m with the incoming left back, who pens down a five-year contract at Anfield Stadium.
Kerkez is the Merseysiders third major signing of the ongoing offseason, after the arrival of attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz and right-back Jeremie Frimpong, both from German giants Bayer Leverkusen. The Reds forked out a club record £116m to secure Germany international Wirtz, which is made up of a £100m fixed fee complemented by £16m in potential add-ons. And £29.5m for bringing Dutchman Frimpong. Liverpool also signed Hungary Under-21 keeper Armin Pecsi for a fee of up to £1.5m.
Liverpool agree £40m deal for Bournemouth star Milos Kerkez, medical set for next week.
Liverpool agree £40m deal for Bournemouth star Milos Kerkez, medical set for next week.
This is a major step for Milos Kerkez given that he now plays for one of the European elites. That being said, this is not the first time that he has had a badge representing one of the cream clubs; when he was 17, he got a call from AC Milan legend Paolo Maldini, so he went on to move to Milan Reds in 2021 whilst saying that you don’t turn down Maldini. Well, in hindsight, he should have, given that he didn’t start a game for them and a year later he was shipped off to AZ Alkmaar in the Dutch Eredivisie.
And in 2023, when Bournemouth were looking to bring world-beating potential to the market, they spotted Merkez and took a gamble on him for an undisclosed fee. That gamble paid off, given he was a top performer for the Cherries.
We saw Kerkez adventuring up and down that left channel and he was a major part of the success of Iraola’s side this season.
This is where Arne Slot comes in and knocks on the Cherries door, as the Liverpool head coach sees someone who he can integrate into his roster at L4. And the thing is that considering Milos Kerkez’ potential and what he can actually go on to become under Slot, he could turn out to be an absolute bargain for Liverpool.
Let’s understand the core attributes of Kerkez
The thing with Kerkez is that he is never static; he is constantly doing something on the pitch, be it constantly overlapping or recovering or supporting both in build-up and defensive phases. And the current system deployed at L4 thrives on full-backs who can function in an end-to-end role, and the 2003-born left back does that without pause.
There is more; he is really good at forward-orientated long passes given how he is switching play with precise long balls (diagonally) quite often, and while at times he does overuse his long pass as part of Iraola’s system at Bournemouth, I think that Slot can refine this, and all whilst retaining his vertical threat but improving his decision-making to fit the Reds faster and with higher intensity.
Kerkez is also quite comfortable when it comes to advancing at pace with the ball at his feet, and this helps him initiate attacks from deep. And this bodes well with Slot’s philosophy, where full-backs are at the heart of driving transitions and trying to destabilise opposition lines.
Kerkez at 21 has also shown a lot of maturity in terms of his positioning and in his defending when it comes to 1v1 situations, which shall come out crucial under the 46-year-old given that he expects his full-backs to balance those offensive adventures with timely cover.
How can Kerkez tactically fit into the system deployed at L4?
Milos Kerkez will be on the move in the summer
Kerkez will be an ideal fit at Liverpool
Slot often tunnels one of the full backs on the inside to allow for alternation wide, and given that Kerkez has that strong passing ability, it makes him a good hybrid for stepping into midfield as well as offering overloads with those right-angle passing options. So he will be on a vertical drive when he is not looking on the inside; here, Kerkez can burst forward into space and create width and deliver crosses or cutbacks (in turn helping Liverpool stretch the field).
Moreover, given his high stamina, Kerkez supports that high energy press up the pitch, and he can also pin wide players and end up quickly recovering when possession is lost. Given his pace and stamina, Kerkez will rarely be caught out of position, which is essential when Liverpool’s system leaves space behind.
And while the former AC Milan ace has that tendency to go long, Slot and the ball progression that he prefers need a mix which coaches at Kirkby can work with him to add short and quick exchanges without diminishing his threat with diagonal and line-breaking passes.
Weaknesses
I still think that he needs to improve his decision-making when under pressure (sometimes he also takes a bit too long to make his decisions). That being said, Slot is also the perfect coach to fast-track this.
Moreover (as I stated twice above), Kerkez has a tendency to overplay long balls, and Slot needs to have him balancing that risk and control, especially against counter‑pressing teams.
Author Opinion
We know that Slot demands a sense of athleticism in both attack and defence and this is where the in strip energy that Kerkez brings to the table takes along the Dutch head coach’s approach. He also has that tactical depth to build up (it still needs to be worked on though, especially in the first phase). And he has that ball-carrying capacity which invites a dynamic left channel which is important for an attacking setup as layered as that of Liverpool and then his ability to recover ensures that he won’t get exposed in transitional phases.
I think he is quite a high-ceiling signing for Liverpool by Slot.