Liverpool strike ‘full agreement’ for signing No 2 who’ll spark fan favourite’s sale

Liverpool will complete signing number two after agreeing a club-to-club deal and once official, a fan favourite will be jettisoned out of Anfield, according to reports.

The Reds may have cruised to the Premier League title, though the squad Arne Slot will aim to defend their title with will look unrecognisable next season. Trent Alexander-Arnold has joined Real Madrid and been replaced by Jeremie Frimpong.

Liverpool worked wonders in negotiations at the death for Alexander-Arnold when cajoling Real Madrid into paying €10m / £8.4m for his services. That was despite the fact Alexander-Arnold was mere weeks away from becoming a free agent, with Liverpool capitalising on Real’s desperation to feature the right-back in the Club World Cup.

Giorgi Mamardashvili will take the place of Caoimhin Kelleher on the bench. Kelleher is primed to join Brentford for a package totalling €18m.

Jarell Quansah, Harvey Elliott, Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez could also depart.

Elsewhere, Liverpool are striving to strike a deal with Bayer Leverkusen for Florian Wirtz. Personal terms are in place, though Leverkusen are driving a hard bargain on the fee.

Liverpool’s second bid worth €130m has been rejected and the idea of including Elliott as a makeweight is no longer under consideration.

As such, Liverpool must either propose more lucrative payment terms/structure, make an improved third bid, or include Quansah as collateral.

But before Wirtz can step foot on Merseyside, Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez may already have joined.

Like Wirtz, Kerkez has already agreed personal terms with the Reds who are racing to complete a club-to-club agreement.

And according to the latest from journalist Uriel Lugt, Liverpool have made a breakthrough.

“Milos Kerkez will be a new player for Liverpool,” declared the reporter on X. “There is full agreement with Bournemouth for the sale of the pass.

“The full-back will sign a contract for five seasons.”

Lugt did not disclose how much the alleged agreement is worth, though it is common knowledge Bournemouth were holding out for £45m.

If and when Kerkez does join, The Athletic strongly suggest a fan favourite will be pushed out…

Kerkez in, Tsimikas out

Kerkez will supersede Andy Robertson as Liverpool’s starting left-back. Whether that happens from matchday one or later in the season is up in the air, though the Hungarian is not being signed to warm the bench.

Robertson endured his worst season to date in a Liverpool shirt last season and is clearly a fading force.

However, not playing week in week out, may help the ageing Scot get back to his best and Liverpool value his experience.

As such, it will be Tsimikas and not Robertson who is sacrificed when Kerkez signs.

An update from The Athletic’s James Pearce stated: ‘If, as expected, Liverpool sign Kerkez, then one of their current left-backs would be surplus to requirements, with Kostas Tsimikas deemed the most likely to depart.’

Tsimikas is referred to as the ‘Greek Scouser’ by Liverpool fans and is highly thought of despite never being a regular starter.

Newly-promoted Leeds United – who have lost Junior Firpo to free agency – have been mentioned as a potential landing spot.

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