James Pearce from The Athletic disclosed the substantial amount that Liverpool must shell out to Bournemouth for signing Milos Kerkez during the upcoming transfer window.
Liverpool , has enjoyed an outstanding season in the Premier League as Arne Slot’s team heads towards their twentieth top-tier title after establishing a 12-point advantage over second-place Arsenal.
Last week was a tough period for the Reds as they were eliminated from the Champions League by Paris Saint-Germain. suffered defeat in the League Cup final against Newcastle United on Sunday .
Now all eyes are focused on securing their position in the Premier League, which seems likely unless there’s a massive downturn, as well as figuring out whom they’ll bring in during the upcoming transfer window.
They are expected to concentrate mainly on defense and offense strategies, as roles for midfielders and goalkeepers seem well-covered. However, significant doubt persists regarding the future status of present team members—whether they'll remain part of the squad or depart.
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Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mohamed Salah, and Virgil van Dijk all have contracts ending this season, and speculation suggests they might depart.
And Pearce – who has covered Liverpool for numerous years – has dissected where Liverpool lack depth and disclosed the potential amount they might need to fork out for Bournemouth’s left-back Kerkez.
Pearce wrote in The Athletic :
'If Trent Alexander-Arnold were to move to Real Madrid without a transfer fee, filling the significant gap in creativity would be essential. While Conor Bradley is quite capable as a replacement, his recurring injuries pose a worry, thus necessitating the signing of yet another right-back.'
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Arne Slot should take Liverpool’s share of the blame for lacking aPlan B and pushing players too hard.
'Improving the defense on the left side is also being considered. Milos Kerkez, who is 21 years old, is well-thought-of, however, Bournemouth might ask for approximately triple the £15.5 million they spent when acquiring the Hungarian player from AZ in 2023. Ajax’s Jorrel Hato, aged 19, presents another potential choice.'
'As central defender, everything depends on whether Van Dijk signs an extension. Even though there has been consistent hope that the captain will remain with the club, he insists that his future is still uncertain as negotiations proceed.'
'Then there’s his defensive partner, Konate, nearing the end of his current deal without any progress in talks, along with Gomez, who almost departed last summer and is now recuperating from hamstring surgery. It can be strongly argued that Liverpool require an additional center-back even if Van Dijk extends past his 34th birthday in July.'
The right-back from Bayer Leverkusen is said to be of interest to Liverpool, however, Mick Brown, who previously served as the chief scout for Manchester United, believes they won’t use him as a replacement for Alexander-Arnold. Instead, he suggests that Liverpool might consider the Netherlands international.
Brown told Football Insider : “Liverpool are looking to sign a new right-back. But I don’t think Fimpong will be they player they bring in. If Liverpool are sticking with a back four, I don’t see where he fits.
He's an extremely offensive-oriented wing-back, however, his defensive capabilities raise some concerns. I'm uncertain about how effectively he'd perform as a right-back in the Premier League, and I'm sure this is also being considered by these clubs.
He put up a remarkable performance during their championship-winning year, yet I don't consider him exceptional. I doubt Manchester United would show much interest in signing him.
I understand they've considered him, and he appears as a name on a list; however, this is solely because he plays as a right-wing back in Europe. Thus, it wouldn't be unusual for them to have taken notice of him.
I'd be amazed if he was their top pick; let me phrase it like this.