Liverpool will need to pay at least £45m for Bournemouth defender Milos Kerkez, according to reports.
The Hungarian international is believed to be one of two left-backs (along with Ajax’s Jorrel Hato) that the Reds are targeting ahead of the summer transfer window.
Kerkez has turned heads with his performances since the start of the season, but the Daily Mail claim his club won’t let him leave without a fight.
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Bournemouth are under no pressure to sell players and they would reportedly demand triple the £15m they paid for the 21-year-old at the start of last season.
Kerkez has attracted attention from several Premier League teams
Arne Slot’s side are not the only club to be linked with the fullback, with both Chelsea and Manchester United having been suggested as potential suitors over the past year.
However, those two clubs are said to have different transfer priorities heading into the summer. Chelsea want a midfielder, a left winger and a striker. United, meanwhile, have already recruited one left-back in Patrick Dorgu and they are more likely to purchase someone for the opposite flank, with Sporting Lisbon’s Geovany Quenda thought to be top of their list.
Liverpool may have an ace up their sleeve
Another factor that favours Kerkez joining the Reds is the presence of his national team captain, Dominik Szoboszlai. The Daily Mail suggest that the midfielder could become the club’s “chief negotiator” if they do choose to pursue the player over the coming months.
Szoboszlai has already publicly stated that Kerkez is his best friend in English football so that strong personal connection could well be used to the club’s advantage.
The defender has plenty of fans. Speaking back in December, Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher said Kerkez had been “a revelation” this campaign, and he even backed the Reds to make a move for him.
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