Nice time to be a Liverpool fan, ay. Arne Slot’s side lifted the Premier League trophy after drawing with Crystal Palace at Anfield, ending a memorable campaign.
FSG will be delighted, but they won’t want this triumph to stand as a flash in the pan. Instead, footballing chief Michael Edwards has been tasked with building a new dynasty on Merseyside, and sweeping changes are anticipated ahead of the summer transfer window.
Well, more than that. The cogs are whirring away, deals firmly in the pipeline. Liverpool might have been forced into a poignant divorce with Trent Alexander-Arnold, who will join Real Madrid on a free transfer, but frustration has been assuaged by the flurry of activity in recent weeks.
Changes aren’t just anticipated; Liverpool are acting with the incisiveness of champions.
Liverpool closing on exciting deals
If you haven’t been living under a rock, you’ll be aware Liverpool are closing on the audacious signing of Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz for a club-record fee.
Wirtz, 22, won the Bundesliga Player of the Season for 2023/24 and has been described as a “generational talent” while at it by sports media professional Cristian Nyari, and Liverpool have beaten Manchester City and Bayern Munich to his signature.
It’s not yet set in stone, but the Reds have backed up their title-winning season with a monstrous gambit, and before the transfer window’s even opened its stalls.
And that’s not all. Jeremie Frimpong has completed his medical, surely just days away from completing his transfer to Merseyside, the Werkself right-sider ready to link back up with Wirtz.
Trent might be leaving, but FSG have acted with intent to sign two players who, combined, replace the vice-captain’s one-of-a-kind talents and might even transcend them.
But there’s more. In fact, Fabrizio Romano has chimed in to reveal talks are advancing with yet another sought-after star.
Liverpool advancing talks for another signing
As per Romano, Liverpool are still engaged in talks with Bournemouth for Milos Kerkez, who is “very keen” on moving to Anfield this summer.
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The Hungarian, 21, is expected to fetch a fee of around £45m, though Liverpool will surely want this whittled down.
Slot has wanted a new left-back signed, given the 31-year-old Andy Robertson is on the decline and Kostas Tsimikas, his deputy, is available for transfer.
Favourites to get the deal done, with Man City and Real Madrid also registering their interest in recent weeks, Liverpool are pulling out all the stops to reward Slot for his incredible feat, and Kerkez might just prove to be the most important signing of the lot.
Why Liverpool want Milos Kerkez
Now, that might seem like something of a bold claim. Let’s make it clear: Wirtz is one of the best attacking midfielders in the world, and will cost in excess of €100m (£85m), though not as much as some exorbitant initial claims.
He’s a marquee signing, and that’s a fact, but Kerkez is a player whose signing needs to be agreed upon if Liverpool are to make headway and better this Premier League-winning campaign.
Certainly, Kerkez could prove to be the more transformative addition to Liverpool’s flanks.
Though Frimpong will bring a unique style to the right side of Virgil van Dijk’s backline, the Dutchman will find himself jockeying for a number one berth with Conor Bradley, who signed a new long-term contract with the Anfield side last week and is one of the most exciting young full-backs in the game.
However, Robertson has been continually criticised for his athletic regression, his lapses in concentration. Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher acknowledged the “absolute legend” last month but went on to outline how he is “hanging on in every game now.”
Kerkez could dynamise Liverpool’s defence, provide a worthy heir for the coming age. Pundit Izzy Christensen has hailed the “machine” for his role at Bournemouth this term, and he’s indeed maintained a high level that has outstripped that of Robertson.
Matches (starts)
38 (38)
33 (29)
Goals
2
0
Assists
5
1
Touches*
59.6
64.5
Pass completion
80%
88%
Big chances created
8
7
Ball recoveries*
4.4
3.2
Dribbles*
0.6
0.2
Tackles + interceptions*
2.6
1.8
Clearances*
2.6
1.3
Ground duels (won)*
3.3 (61%)
1.6 (52%)
Though Robertson is still more precise on the ball, this is largely down to a tactical approach from Slot, which could be inculcated smoothly into Kerkez’s own game, should he sign this summer.
One thing’s for certain, Kerkez would be a massive upgrade, and a more important signing than Frimpong besides. That’s not to the 24-year-old Leverkusen star’s discredit, but rather illustrates where the focus lies at Liverpool.
There’s a completeness about the Hungary international which suggests he could be the archetypal modern full-back, whereas Frimpong, though fleet-footed and electric on the ball, has drawn criticism for his defensive work at times.
Xabi Alonso’s man only won 45% of his ground duels in the Bundesliga last season, as per Sofascore, albeit fielded in a more advanced position than your typical wide defender.
Of course, a potential by-product of that is that Frimpong lacks the defensive nous that, for example, Kerkez would have, for he has simply not enjoyed the repetitive absorption of such skills in recent years, having been stuck in the attacking half, ready to explode and surge forward.
Liverpool are forging ahead with a deal for Wirtz, and rightly so. But sporting director Richard Hughes has got his hands in several pies and he’s juggling the responsibility expertly. Barring something drastic and deflating, all three exciting talents will be playing in Liverpool red next year.
Does it really even matter which one’s the most important, if that is indeed the case?
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