Liverpool to battle Man Utd for EXPLOSIVE Richard Hughes protege

Liverpool are reportedly seeking a left-back, a defensive midfielder and centre-back this January, with sporting director Richard Hughes looking to repeat a transfer trick he made in his time at Bournemouth.

Federico Chiesa's £12.5m move was the Reds’ only summer signing, with Liverpool’s primary target Martin Zubimendi deciding to stay with Real Sociedad.

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Liverpool are now reportedly interested in a left-back, despite having Andy Robertson and Kostas Tsimikas as options. It is believed that Tsimikas is not viewed as a long-term candidate in that position, and with Robertson turning 30, it may be time to bring in someone younger in that position.

Liverpool want Milos Kerkez

Bournemouth’s left-back Milos Kerkez was brought to the Premier League by then sporting director Richard Hughes, and TEAMtalk have reported he is now looking to bring him to his new club.

Kerkez’s attacking ability as a full-back has been clear, however it is the defensive side to his game which has been improving since coming to England.

Last season he had the most successful defensive actions in the Premier League for an Under-23 left-back with 9.85, beating out former Liverpool target Levi Colwill and Destiny Udogie, who many viewed as one of the best full-backs in the league last year.

He was described as 'explosive' by his Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola to the Bournemouth Echo last season.

The Hungarian international has a reported market value of €15.4m according to Footballtransfers.com, although he would probably cost a lot more. It would continue a pattern for both Hughes and the Reds of shopping lower down in the Premier League, which has provided a lot of success in recent years.

There has been previous interest in Kerkez from Manchester United and Chelsea, as well as from Germany and Italy, and if Liverpool are to make a move they will face competition for his signature.

Kerkez may see his side’s match at Anfield this Saturday as an opportunity to impress head coach Arne Slot.

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