Liverpool holding final talks to sign “revelation” after Wirtz

There has been a post doing the rounds on social media, appearing to take aim at Liverpool’s spending in recent times, namely their ability to fork out what were then record fees for Virgil van Dijk and Alisson.

That has been brought into the limelight amid the impending arrival of Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz for a reported total price tag of around £126m, with that significant outlay potentially set to eclipse Chelsea’s £115m capture of Moises Caicedo – the current British record.

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Rival supporters should know better, however, with this a club who have certainly received bang for their buck in the FSG era, with Van Dijk and Alisson, in particular, having been central figures in securing a plethora of major honours since their arrival.

As those £75m and £67m deals showcased, respectively, the Anfield side are willing to splash out only at the right time – and for the right player – with the decision to plump for Wirtz no doubt a calculated one, rather than merely a desperate show of strength.

The Merseysiders – who have already snapped up Jeremie Frimpong to boot – appear to have sprung into action after a quiet 24 months in the transfer market, with the imminent addition of Wirtz seemingly not the last of the summer for Arne Slot’s side.

Latest on Liverpool’s business after Wirtz

The signing of the German sensation appears to be a matter of when and not if, with the Premier League champions having fended off rival interest from the likes of Manchester City and Bayern Munich to get their man.

At a time when the Bundesliga’s best talents typically ended up in Bavaria, there has been an element of surprise at Wirtz’s decision to leave his homeland behind, albeit with that perhaps showcasing the strength of the project on offer at Anfield.

Indeed, a third exciting signing of the summer could also be on the way in the form of Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez, with the Hungarian full-back seemingly edging ever closer to making the switch.

As revealed by transfer guru Fabrizio Romano – writing in his GIVEMESPORT newsletter – there is set to be a final round of talks amid the hope of striking a deal with the Cherries, with the player himself having already agreed to the move.

It is said that the 21-year-old will be ‘next’ after Wirtz’s acquisition, with previous reports outlining that the rampaging left-back will command a fee of around £45m, should a deal be agreed.

Part of an exciting Bournemouth side last term, Kerkez could be a dream ‘consolation’ after the Reds missed out on his in-demand teammate, Dean Huijsen.

Why Kerkez could be as exciting as Huijsen

It may appear strange to say for a team that only just stormed to Premier League title glory, although there does appear to be surgery needed at Anfield, particularly with regard to the backline.

Indeed, the controversial exit of Trent Alexander-Arnold has sparked Frimpong’s acquisition, while Kerkez could be a ready-made replacement for Andy Robertson, with just a year remaining on the 31-year-old’s contract.

There has also been talk regarding the signing of a new centre-back, not least with uncertainty surrounding Ibrahima Konate’s own contract extension, with recent months seeing Liverpool emerge as a leading suitor for the aforementioned Huijsen.

Available for £50m due to a release clause in his Bournemouth contract, the 20-year-old Spaniard caught the eye following what has proved to be a solitary season on the south coast, with Xabi Alonso and Real Madrid ultimately winning the race for his signature.

Huijsen – who Jamie Redknapp described as looking “effortless” on the pitch – was the star attraction of Andoni Iraola’s high-flying side, but Kerkez is a standout talent in his own right, having been hailed as a “revelation” by Jamie Carragher.

Most goals & assists in 24/25 – LB’s in Europe’s top five leagues
Player	G/A
Federico Dimarco	13
Rayan Ait-Nouri	11
Robin Gosens	10
Nathaniel Brown	10
Alejandro Grimaldo	10
Antonee Robinson	10
Maximilian Mittlestadt	9
Milos Kerkez	8
Emanuel Valeri	8
Sergi Cardona	8
Stats via Transfermarkt

A young and high-potential defender, much like Huijsen, the £45m man started all 38 league games in 2024/25, having chipped in with two goals and five assists in that time from his left-sided berth.

It is that attacking quality that stands out regarding the Hungary international, as he also created eight ‘big chances’ and averaged one key pass per game in the top-flight. Huijsen too is also a real threat in the opposition box, having registered five goals and assists of his own from centre-back.

What is most impressive about their pair, however, is that such forward-thinking quality is backed up by their defensive strength, with Huijsen averaging 2.7 tackles and interceptions per game while being dribbled past just 0.3 times. Kerkez, meanwhile, averaged 2.6 tackles and interceptions, while having been dribbled past on just 0.4 occasions.

For context, the long-serving Robertson averaged just 1.8 and 0.6 for those same two metrics, respectively, having also only registered one assist, showcasing the potential upgrade that could be acquired.

Yes, Huijsen may have been the name on everybody’s lips at the Vitality Stadium of late, although Kerkez – who Opta’s Matt Furniss claimed is ‘on his way to being one of Europe’s best full-backs’ – is equally as exciting.