Liverpool will have to do something at left-back this summer, with Andy Robertson leaving after a legendary spell at Anfield.
It may be that Liverpool trust Milos Kerkez completely after signing him from Bournemouth, although his first season has shown promise rather than total certainty. Kostas Tsimikas could still be kept around, but his time has felt like it has been up since last summer.
If the Reds want another first-team quality option who can compete to start straight away, Federico Dimarco would be a brilliant route to explore. The Inter Milan star is not a project — he is a proven Champions League-level full-back entering the final year of his contract.
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Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes watching on during the Reds' Premier League match against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge (Credit: Getty Images/Robin Jones).
Photo Credit: Getty Images/Robin Jones
Inter Milan’s Federico Dimarco would be Andy Robertson 2.0
Kerkez is adapting to life at Liverpool, and he was signed with the belief that he could eventually become their first-choice left-back.
Dimarco is ready-made though. The 28-year-old has played in huge Champions League matches for Inter and is still at an age where Liverpool could get several elite years out of him.
More importantly, he is having an absolutely outrageous season in Serie A.
Everyone has been praising Bruno Fernandes for his 19 Premier League assists this season and he deserves all the plaudits, but Dimarco producing 17 league assists from left wing-back is arguably even more impressive.
Federico Dimarco of FC Internazionale seen in action during
Photo by Fabrizio Carabelli/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
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That number looks better again when put next to some of the best attacking left-backs of this century. Marcelo and Jordi Alba never managed more than 10 league assists in a single season, while Robertson’s best tally was 12 in 2019/20.
That does not make Dimarco a better overall Liverpool player than Robertson was in his prime, but it does show how devastating he is in the areas where Liverpool have looked short at times this season.
Kerkez was an attacking force at Bournemouth, scoring two goals and registering six assists in 38 Premier League appearances before joining Liverpool, but he hasn’t shown those same levels in a red shirt.
Liverpool play a lot of games, and we saw plenty of rotation with Robertson this season. It could be the same with Dimarco and Kerkez, with both players getting minutes and seeing who wants the shirt more.
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Liverpool's Andy Robertson lifts the Premier League trophy in front of the Kop at Anfield on the final day of the season (Credit: Getty Images/Sebastian Frej).
Photo Credit: Getty Images/Sebastian Frej
The contract situation makes this one worth testing, too. Dimarco’s Inter deal runs until June 2027, and while reports in Italy have claimed talks are ongoing over an extension, there is still time to turn his head before anything is signed.
If Liverpool feel they need to replace Robertson with someone ready-made, Dimarco is a player who would be elite from the outset, and definitely worth pursuing before he signs an extension at the San Siro.
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