Milos Kerkez has been linked with a move to Liverpool from Bournemouth
Milos Kerkez has been linked with a move to Liverpool
Liverpool are reportedly expected to face competition from Juventus for Milos Kerkez. The Bournemouth left-back has been linked with a move to Anfield this summer.
Kerkez, 21, joined the Cherries from AZ Alkmaar for £15.5million in July 2023 and has impressed since his move to the Vitality Stadium. He enjoyed a fine debut season on the south coast and has taken his game up a level this term, cementing himself as one of the best left-sided defenders in the Premier League.
It has been widely reported that Liverpool are set to dip into the market for a long-term replacement for Andy Robertson, with Kerkez named as a possible option. Reports have suggested that a 'crucial meeting' with Kerkez's entourage is going to take place during the March international break regarding his future.
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While Liverpool, at this stage, are viewed by many as the favourites to land Kerkez, they are reportedly not the only club who want to sign him. According to journalist Sacha Tavolieri, via Sky Sports Switzerland, Juventus are pushing to line up Kerkez as a replacement for Andrea Cambiaso, who is Manchester City-bound.
Juventus are 'wary' that they might not have a successor in mind for Cambiaso and finding a replacement is a 'priority option', and, as a result, Juve have started negotiations with Kerkez's representatives. It's added that Juve consider Kerkez as a player with 'all the qualities' he's looking for in a left-back.
It has also been claimed that Bournemouth are expecting to receive at least £37.7m for the Hungarian. That would represent a huge profit, recouping no less than three times their initial outlay.
Former Bournemouth defender Joe Partington spoke about Kerkez's future on BBC Radio Solent earlier this week. He said: "He's a standout player at the moment. He's involved in moments that define the outcomes of games.
"When Kerkez is on it, which he has been for the majority of this season, making those lung-busting 70-yard sprints to either recover or to overlap, and the Newcastle goal sticks out in my head, the assist over the weekend as well, the more moments like that, which he is doing consistently, the more people speak about you and the more people speak about you the more calls he will receive from those [bigger] clubs.
"From a player's perspective he's in a nice moment, playing very well. He probably knows there's interest and he's using it as fuel. Inevitable is a strong word, but I think it's pretty, pretty clear that he will probably move on."