Liverpool gobsmacked as Prem rivals name huge price for top target and Plan B option is revealed

Liverpool will prioritise the signing of a new left-back this summer, though plans to bring in Milos Kerkez have suffered a blow after Bournemouth’s huge asking price was revealed and with a Plan B option now looking set to take centre stage.

The Reds have enjoyed a brilliant first season under Arne Slot’s command and look destined to win the Premier League for the second time in five years in a success that has succeeded all expectations on Merseyside. And while a sobering week has seen Liverpool crash out of the Champions League on penalties to PSG and lose the Carabao Cup final to Newcastle, it should not dampen the spirits of supporters, who were initially warned of a drop-off in standards once Jurgen Klopp departed.

That said, the last week has seemingly reinforced to Slot that he will need to spend some serious money this summer to further improve the depth and quality of Liverpool’s squad – a fact underlined by Jamie Carragher after he claimed the Dutchman ‘does not trust four or five players’ he can call upon.

Sources have revealed to TEAMtalk that Slot – who has only signed Federico Chiesa and Giorgi Mamardashvili since being appointed Reds manager – will have serious funds at his disposal this summer ahead what has been described as a ‘historic transfer window’.

While much of Liverpool’s business will be affected by the outcome of contract talks with Mo Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk, Slot is also very much determined to sign a new left-back with Andy Robertson not being as effective as he was in his pomp.

To that end, we were first to break the news way back in September that Kerkez was a player of serious interest to Liverpool.

And with the acceptance being that he is now Liverpool’s top target, trusted reporter James Pearce has now revealed Bournemouth’s huge asking price for the Hungarian – and having also named the Plan B option who is now very much also on their radar.

‘Strengthening at left-back is also on the agenda’, Pearce wrote for The Athletic.

‘Milos Kerkez, 21, is highly regarded, but Bournemouth would want around three times the £15.5m they paid AZ for the Hungary international in 2023.

‘Ajax’s Jorrel Hato, 19, is another option.’

Pearce’s information is indeed correct, with Andoni Iraola’s side seeking a fee of around £45m to let the 21-year-old depart the Vitality Stadium.

READ MORE 🔴 Carragher predicts major Liverpool rebuild with Slot not trusting ‘four or five’ Reds stars

Milos Kerkez has made Liverpool transfer aim clear

While Hato is also being looked at Liverpool transfer chief Richard Hughes, the Reds will only move for his services if a deal for Kerkez does not go through. To that end, we have learned that the player will hold talks with his agents this week to determine the best course of action and ahead of the summer window.

The Reds have also been given real belief that a deal for Kerkez will be done after the player’s former coach gave Slot a firm indication that his signing is well within their grasp.

“I think he’s ready to go to a higher level club [than Bournemouth],” Kerkez’s former coach Richard Henczi told Anfield Watch. Who went on to say Kerkez is ‘ready to take the next step’.

“If he wants to go to Liverpool, he will go to Liverpool,” he added.

Kerkez has caught the eye for Iraola’s side this season as they continue their hunt for a European spot for next season.

“I mean he has everything [to be one of the best left-backs],” Henczi continued. “I think he can’t be in the top five left-backs around the world if he plays at a smaller club. So it depends on his next transfer – how many minutes will he play there and how well will he play there?

“[Do they] play in the UEFA Champions League or just the Europa League and you know, these kinds of decisions. If he gets the chance, I think he has everything to be in the top five or 10 left-backs in the world.”

A move to Anfield could see Kerkez hook up with his international teammate Dominik Szoboszlai and the player himself admits that could prove tempting, though he has been keen to stress he has unfinished business with the Cherries.

“It wouldn’t look bad [working with Szoboszlai at Liverpool], that’s for sure,” Kerkez said.

“But it’s too early to talk about something like that. I have big goals with Bournemouth, we still have a lot of games to win, that’s the most important thing right now.”

Liverpool transfer latest: Stunning £252m triple blitz; Darwin Nunez admission

Meanwhile, Slot is planning to radically shake up his squad with the captures of three world-class signings, reports in Spain have claimed, though Fabrizio Romano has already offered his response to links with Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez.

It’s claimed deals for all three stars will set Liverpool back an eye-watering €300m (£252m, $327m).

Some of those additions could be funded by the sale of Darwin Nunez, with the Uruguayan having slipped down the pecking order under Slot this season. Now, while on international duty with Uruguay, Nunez has admitted he is far from happy at his current situation, though having also stated why he will not give up without a fight to salvage his Anfield career.

On the subject of replacements for Nunez, we’ve taken a look at the merits of nine strikers being tracked by the Reds and assessed how they would fare under Slot next season.

In addition to Nunez, speculation has also been raised over the future of Diogo Jota, with the Portuguese also having struggled for goals this season.

To that end, our transfer specialist Fraser Fletcher has revealed that Jota is a target for one of his former clubs this summer – and with Liverpool’s stance on his sale also coming to light.

IN-FOCUS: How Kerkez and Hato compare this season