Liverpool are reportedly pursuing Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez and are ready to battle several rivals for his signature.
The Reds are first in the Premier League and the Merseysiders are already eight points ahead of champions Manchester City, who they face on Sunday at Anfield.
Arne Slot's start to life as boss in England has been remarkable considering Federico Chiesa was the only addition to the team this season.
Though defensive midfielder Martin Zubimendi was targeted in the summer, a transfer ultimately failed to materialise and Slot has been utilising essentially the same squad as Jurgen Klopp did last term.
However, transfer expert Florian Plettenberg has claimed that Liverpool are actively pursuing the left-back Kerkez as a replacement for veteran Andrew Robertson.
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Ideal Robertson replacement?
Kerkez has started the season excellently, and while his Cherries side are only 13th in the Premier League table with 15 points, they are on track to surpass their points total of 48 from 2023-24.
The defender has impressed with his relentless running, charging down the left and providing support to forwards like Evanilson and Antoine Semenyo.
In fact, the left-back managed to produce two assists during his team's 2-1 win against Man City on November 2, and his performance was perhaps reminiscent of a younger Robertson.
The Liverpool full-back was famous for his energetic displays for the Reds and for his ability to rack up assists, but the 30-year-old has experienced somewhat of a decline as he has aged.
If Slot wanted to replace the Scotsman with the 21-year-old Bournemouth man, then he could hardly ask for a more fitting alternative.
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Other options on the market
One of Slot's strengths as Liverpool manager has been his tactical flexibility and ability to adapt to opponents' setups.
Robertson has been asked to perform different roles during games at times, be it positioning himself as a third centre-back in build-up, or as an extra option in midfield.
Kerkez is at his best when he is given the freedom to overlap and underlap at pace, but perhaps others like Wolverhampton Wanderers' Rayan Ait-Nouri will be considered as alternatives to the Bournemouth man.
Ait-Nouri's all round game is arguably more developed than the Cherries left-back, and he would certainly offer more variety than the current version of Robertson.
However, given the Reds are top of the league, Slot will likely feel he can get by until at least the summer with the squad as it currently stands.
Lewis Nolan
