'Everything is done' as Hughes secures another masterstroke signing

Liverpool are on the cusp of announcing the signing of Milos Kerkez after the Bournemouth defender’s father revealed all on his impending move to Anfield, and with the finer details of the Hungarian’s wages and contract on Merseyside now coming to light.

The Reds have burst out of the transfer blocks this summer as they look to reinforce their Premier League title-winning squad with a new and hungry feel. Having secured the capture of Jeremie Frimpong as the direct replacement for Trent Alexander-Arnold, Liverpool have now accelerated with moves for signings two and three, with the double deal poised to take their summer spending soaring through the £190m mark.

While Kerkez’s impending move from Bournemouth is expected to cost a fee in the region of £40m to £45m (€49.9m to €53m / $54m to $61m) – a modest sum compared the whopping £119.2m (€140m, $161m) for Wirtz – it is now less significant as far as Arne Slot is concerned.

And with Liverpool now on the cusp of announcing the capture of Kerkez, Slot will be able to field two of the best and most adventurous attacking full-backs around next season.

With a deal now in the final stages, the left-back’s father, Sebastijan, appeared alongside his son on Serbian YouTube channel Super Indirektno kod Popa i Milana, to confirm ‘everything is done’ with regards to the transfer.

Sebastijan Kerkez was quite clear on the direction of travel for his son by saying: “It’s only Liverpool for us and we’re not going anywhere else and we won’t talk to other clubs. Everything is done between us [personal terms], and we just need to sort out some details, but it’s basically a done deal.

“We made that decision. Richard Hughes brought us to Bournemouth, and he’s a man who keeps his promises. If he said we’re going to India, then we’re going to India. Everything is agreed, just a few little things.”

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The deal to bring Kerkez to Anfield shows Hughes’ power of persuasion. His reputation took something of a hit last summer when the Reds only brought in Federico Chiesa as a firm addition to the squad and having seen a move for Martin Zubimendi slip through their fingers.

The truth of the matter, though, is that Liverpool do not make any moves for any other players last summer, with Slot deciding instead to take an analytical approach with the squad he inherited from Jurgen Klopp and assess each individual’s strengths and weaknesses.

Now, some 12 months into his reign and with money to spend, Slot and Hughes have really got to work.

While Hughes and Slot deserve great praise for managing to win the race for Wirtz – and it was a presentation on how he would fit into the side that ultimately won the day – lots of credit is also owed to the sporting director for managing to negotiate the move for Kerkez.

With two goals and six assists for Bournemouth this season, the 21-year-old – who TEAMtalk exclusively first revealed as a Liverpool target last September – has all the attributes needed to become one of the best in world football.

And with his father identifying Hughes as a major factor behind their decision to move to Anfield, the imminent capture looks another feather in the cap for the 45-year-old Scot.

Kerkez is expected to sign a five-year deal at Anfield through to summer 2030 and will earn an estimated wage of £90,000 a week at Anfield.

His preferred shirt No.3 is currently occupied at Anfield by Wataru Endo. But should the Japanese switch to the vacant No.6, then Kerkez could let land his preferred shirt number. Alternatively, the No.12 is available, though that is what Frimpong usually wears for the Netherlands, while No.15 and No.16 are available, depending on Wirtz’s pick.

Kerkez is also expected to go straight into the Liverpool side next season, with Andy Robertson now likely to leave with a move to Atletico Madrid gathering pace.

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On the subject of Robertson, our transfer insider Fraser Fletcher has explained why any move to Spain could ultimately prevent the Scot from making the dream transfer he had always intended to make upon leaving Anfield.

Meanwhile, the Reds hold a “concrete interest” in signing Hugo Ekitike this summer after Fabrizio Romano revealed the talks are more advanced than perhaps people realise, and with Arne Slot focused on signing a new striker to replace Darwin Nunez, who now has a pick from three clubs this summer.

And finally, reports in Portugal claim the Reds are now prepared to spend big money on a deal for a top Sporting CP star this summer amid claims Slot sees him as an ideal successor for a 22-year-old the Dutchman does not fully trust.

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