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Premier League giants Liverpool and Manchester United are set to battle for Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez in January, as per latest reports. The 21-year-old joined The Cherries from AZ Alkmaar in the summer of 2023 for a reported €17.87 million.
The Hungarian defender has been impressive for Bournemouth this season, registering an 82% passing accuracy and an average of 4.4 balls recovered per game in the Premier League. Additionally, Kerkez has a penchant for coming forward and launching crosses into the penalty box. This has resulted in him racking up eight assists and five goals in 57 games for Bournemouth.
According to Caught Offside, both Liverpool and Manchester United are on the hunt for a quality left-back in January and Milos Kerkez is one of the top targets. However, Bournemouth will demand £50 million to part with the Hungarian, as per the report.
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Although Liverpool have two quality left-backs in Andrew Robertson and Konstantinos Tsimikas, the former is 30 years old. Coach Arne Slot seemingly wants to sign Kerkez as a reinforcement for the future.
Ruben Amorim has a dearth of left-backs in the United squad, with Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia lacking in form and fitness. Both have spent most of the last season on the treatment table and have struggled to have an impact this season.
Shaw and Malacia have played three and five club games, respectively, this season. Neither has registered a goal contribution so far for Manchester United.
According to Caught Offside, other Premier League sides like Chelsea, Arsenal, and Tottenham Hotspur are also keeping an eye on the Kerkez situation. However, Manchester United and Liverpool are the frontrunners to sign the left-back whose £30,000-a-week contract with Bournemouth expires next summer.
Manchester United and Liverpool interested in signing left-back Julio Soler
Lanus left-back Julio Soler has also piqued the interests of Manchester United and Liverpool, as per a report by Soy del Millo (h/t The Faithful MUFC). The 19-year-old is a Lanus Academy graduate who joined the first team back in 2022.
Soler has been a massive inclusion in the Lanus backline, strengthening both attack and defense for the Argentine outfit. In the Primera division, he has helped Lanus maintain 12 clean sheets in 19 games this season. The Argentine's contract was last extended in 2023 and is set to expire in the summer of 2026.
Other left-backs to watch out for in this transfer window include Fulham's Antonee Robinson, Girona's Miguel Gutierrez, and Alvaro Carreras from Benfica. However, the most high-profile transfer saga is that of Alphonso Davies.
The Bayern Munich speedster's contract expires in 2025 and several clubs including Real Madrid, Arsenal, and Manchester United are looking to sign the Canadian.
