Liverpool identify £40m Premier League talent as Andrew Robertson replacement

Liverpool are pushing ahead with plans for a life after Andrew Robertson, with the left-back now moving towards the tail-end of his illustrious career.

Robertson has been one of Liverpool’s best signings of the Premier League era, recruited for just £8.5m from Hull City in 2017 and cementing himself as one of the leading full-backs in the world.

But the Scotland captain turns 31 next week and is no longer as bulletproof as he once was, missing chunks of last season through injury and strategically rested to preserve him throughout 2024/25.

Milos Kerkez is a name that has already cropped up in relation to Liverpool, with the Bournemouth youngster emerging as one of the Premier League’s new top left-backs in a breakout campaign.

But where previous links have been largely speculative, the Telegraph now claim that Liverpool are “expected to be in the running” for Kerkez when the summer transfer window opens.

The Hungary international won’t come cheap at more than £40m. But his long-term potential still makes that a relative bargain, given, at 21 years of age, he could feasibly be at Anfield for a decade.

Manchester United and even Real Madrid are other rumoured suitors, although the former may now consider other positions more of a priority following the January acquisition of Patrick Dorgu.

Kerkez has also already spoken positively about the possibility of joining Liverpool, where he would be able to link up with friend, mentor and international colleague Dominik Szoboszlai.

Jurgen Klopp had already started to rebuild Liverpool for the next chapter prior to his 2024 departure, with Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch, Cody Gakpo and the aforementioned Szoboszlai all brought in within the last two-and-a-half years. Georgian goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili will also arrive from Valencia at the end of the season.

But the project isn’t finished and key components of Klopp’s great team assembled between 2017 and 2020 still remain, needing to be replaced before too long. At their next birthdays later this year, Mohamed Salah and Alisson will be 33, and Virgil van Dijk is to turn 34.