Milos Kerkez has taken over from Andy Robertson as Liverpool’s starting left-back, but has yet to fully convince Gary Lineker.
After Friday night’s emphatic FA Cup win, the conversation around Kerkez and Robertson’s starting chances has reached fever-pitch.
The Hungarian arrived in the summer, and has all but secured his place as first choice under Arne Slot.
Take your pick between two of our biggest moments in recent memory 🙌
Liverpool Champions League Premier League
Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images/Getty Images For The Premier League
It’s exactly what Liverpool were planning when they signed Kerkez from Bournemouth before the start of the season, but Lineker reckons it has left Liverpool short-handed in the creativity department.
Gary Lineker on Liverpool’s missing edge with Milos Kerkez
Speaking on the latest episode of The Rest Is Football, Lineker admitted that while the decision to move on from the iconic duo of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Robertson was understandable in theory, the reality has left a “creativity gap” that Kerkez is still struggling to fill.
“I mean, it’s easy in hindsight,” Lineker noted when discussing the £40 million move for the former Bournemouth man. “They bring in Kerkez and they spent a few bob on him. He comes in and he’s struggled a little bit, but you could see even Andy Robertson at the end—he did say, didn’t he? Well, it took him a bit of time to settle in.”
Lineker highlighted that while Kerkez offers youthful energy, the sheer output of the previous era is currently missing.
MORE LIVERPOOL STORIES
He pointed to the lack of playmaking from the flanks that both Robertson and Trent provided for nearly a decade.
Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson of Liverpool look on, as they celebrate the teams victory and confirmation of winning the Premier League title after the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Tottenham Hotspur FC at Anfield
Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images
“I think they’ve really missed those—I know he’s still there, Andy, but he’s not playing regularly. I think they’ve really missed him and Trent. That unbelievable attacking creativity that both of those players have had… that creativity is a big miss for them on both sides, I would say.”
While Robertson remains at the club as vice-captain, his reduced role in favor of the younger Hungarian international has shifted the team’s dynamic.
Robertson has backed Kerkez, urging patience from the fans, but Lineker’s comments echo a growing sentiment that Liverpool’s full-back combo isn’t quite as lethal as it used to be.
Andy Robertson’s Liverpool future
The Scotland international has been a proper professional throughout this process.
Robertson wants to stay at Liverpool, but has made it clear that the decision will be made out of the public eye.
If you could buy ANY Premier League player right now, who are you signing for Liverpool this summer?
Declan Rice runs with the ball as Curtis Jones chases him during Liverpool's Premier League match against Arsenal at Anfield.
Photo by Gaspafotos/MB Media/Getty Images
Liverpool are looking at left-backs for the upcoming summer transfer window, and it’s hard to picture the Anfield legend accepting a third-choice role.
If he is to leave this summer, he will leave a creative hole in the side, but Kerkez is showing more and more that he will eventually fill that void.
Join Our Newsletter
Receive a digest of our best Liverpool content each week direct to your mailbox