Liverpool have had a busy start to the summer, with three incomings already confirmed before the start of July.
After winning the league, Arne Slot’s side have not taken their foot off the accelerator when it comes to next season.
Liverpool have already signed Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, and young goalkeeper Ármin Pécsi to their title-winning squad, and a fourth arrival appears imminent.
According to David Ornstein, Milos Kerkez is all but confirmed as a Liverpool player and is set to undergo his medical for the deal to be completed.
The 21-year-old will join the club from Bournemouth, having joined the Cherries from Dutch side AZ Alkmaar in 2023.
Here are Liverpool’s potential winners and losers at the club, as the announcement lies just around the corner:
Winner: Cody Gakpo
With rumoured interest in Luis Diaz from clubs across Europe and Saudi Arabia, Cody Gakpo has an opportunity to nail down the left-wing position as his own.
The 26-year-old managed 18 goals and seven assists in all competitions for Liverpool last season, having played just under 2000 minutes across the campaign.
If Diaz does depart the club and hand the starting role to Gakpo, the Dutch international could form a dangerous partnership with Kerkez.
Considering Gakpo’s desire to cut in from the left and Kerkez’s overlapping tendencies, the two could link up perfectly for Arne Slot down the flank.
Winner: Dominik Szoboszlai
It’s always nice to have a fellow countryman in the dressing room, and Dominik Szoboszlai could now have two alongside him.
Having already acquired Ármin Pécsi from Puskás Akadémia this summer, another Hungarian international could be entertaining the Anfield crowd in 2025/26.
Szoboszlai and Kerkez have often been spotted interacting on and off the pitch and appear to have a strong relationship with one another.
In an interview with Hungarian outlet MLSZ TV in May, Kerkez spoke highly of his compatriot, saying: “We are still very close, we write to each other or call each other every other day, we talk about many things.
“It feels good to have a friend who always answers the phone. When you call him, he answers and doesn’t put his mobile on silent.”
Winner: Virgil Van Dijk
His attacking tendencies were highlighted earlier, but make no mistake: Kerkez is a great defender, too.
The young left-back made 4.4 ball recoveries per 90 minutes of Premier League football last season, alongside 2.6 clearances and 1.4 tackles.
Perhaps the most important statistic for Reds captain Virgil Van Dijk, however, is Kerkez’s 1.2 interceptions per 90, which lands him in the 78th percentile amongst fellow left-backs in Europe’s top five leagues.
When compared to Andy Robertson’s 0.77, which places him in only the 38th percentile, it would appear that Van Dijk may have less covering to do on that left-hand side.
Losers: Andy Robertson
Andy Robertson has been an incredible servant for Liverpool during his eight years at the club.
The Scotsman has helped earn the club two Premier League titles, two EFL Cups, one FA Cup, and a Champions League.
It appears as though he might be on his way out of the club though, with Kerkez seemingly a younger replacement for the 31-year-old.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Robertson could be jetting off to Spain to join Atletico Madrid, who are in need of a left-back this summer.
Loser: Kostas Tsimikas
Another left-back who looks to be on his way out of Liverpool, the arrival of Kerkez can only be a detriment to Kostas Tsimikas.
He has been linked with a move to Leeds by the Daily Mail, and a deal could gain momentum once Kerkez is announced as a Red.
In an interview with Sport 24, the Greek international stated that: “It’s definitely a temptation to play more.”
Tsimikas made just nine starts in the Premier League last campaign, and a move to lower-league competition might prove to be the best solution for the sake of his career.
Loser: Joe Gomez
With just 519 league minutes in the 2024/25 season, the potential departure of Robertson and Tsimikas could have proven fruitful for Joe Gomez.
Predominantly a centre-back or right-back, the Englishman has filled in on the left-hand side on multiple occasions for Liverpool over the years.
When injuries to all left-back options saw former Reds boss Jurgen Klopp play Gomez there, he thrived, with Klopp calling him “a lifesaver, to be honest” [via Sky Sports].
Gomez could’ve hoped for a run in the side next season as a left-back, but the arrival of Kerkez leaves him lower down in the pecking order under Slot.