Bournemouth‘s Milos Kerkez has emerged as the frontrunner for Liverpool in the left-back market and the Hungarian has discussed his future amid growing speculation for the summer.
The Reds are expected to be busy this summer and they will be keeping a watchful eye on the left-back market amid doubts over Andy Robertson and Kosts Tsimikas’ roles under Arne Slot.
At this stage, Kerkez is a name that has been consistently linked to Liverpool by credible journalists, although they are not the only club eager to take him from Bournemouth.
The speculation over his future is not lost on the 21-year-old, who told the Athletic that he does see his next step as a return to Europe’s elite.
“As a kid, you dream to play at the highest level, win the trophies, be on the best teams,” Kerkez said.
“These are the things that my agent is on. My dad is on. It is not something that they occupy me with because the season is still going, so there’s no point to talk about anything.
“There’s games left, the FA Cup is important for us — these are big things.
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“And then, like I say, when someone comes (in for you) you never know what’s going to happen or where you’re going to end up. In the summer, we will see what happens.”
When it comes to a particular club’s interest, it is the response you expect from the young left-back as few players are eager to open a can of worms while the season is still ongoing.
After two seasons at Bournemouth, the Hungary international has shown the potential and aptitude to make the transition to Liverpool but he will require a fee in the region of £40 million.
According to The i Paper, the Reds have made initial contact with Bournemouth and reached out to the 21-year-old’s representatives as they look to “speed up” their pursuit with rivals lurking.
As for the player Liverpool would be getting, Kerkez said of himself: “I like to be aggressive but in a sporting way — in a football way, I like to compete a lot.
“As a full-back, you have to do both (defend and attack), but first of all is your defensive game. If you’re not a good defender, you’re not going to play or compete for trophies.
“Last season I had to work on my defensive awareness, to not switch off. I now stay focused for the whole game and I believe I’m doing both pretty well this season.”
