Liverpool one step closer to Milos Kerkez deal as €40m talks begin

Andy Robertson has been on a downward spiral this season and it's been clear for all to see.

Now that the 30-year-old Scottish captain is beginning to struggle, the club is working on replacing him sooner rather than later.

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One player linked with a move to become Liverpool's new left-back is Antonee Robinson at Fulham, who has been one of the standout players in the Premier League this season.

However, he is set to face competition from Milos Kerkez at Bournemouth and the club may just have received a boost in their hunt for the Hungarian's signature.

Manchester United move on from Kerkez

According to David Ornstein at The Athletic, Manchester United are 'in talks' with Lecce over a potential deal for left-back Patrick Dorgu who is valued at €40m.

Liverpool's rivals had also been linked with a move for Kerkez and although nothing is agreed with Dorgu, it is positive news to hear that their interest in the Bournemouth full-back has somewhat cooled off.

Although Kostas Tsimikas has been helping the club to navigate past Robertson's poor form, his own injury problems have meant that the Reds have no other choice but to enter the transfer market to freshen up their personnel in the position.

And in the Cherries' biggest win of the season - a 4-1 victorious away day to Newcastle at St James' Park - Kerkez showed exactly why Liverpool should be interested in him, after keeping the defence secure before scoring in stoppage time to finish off a magnificent performance.

However, United's move for Dorgu is not entirely good news for the Reds.

Dorgu off the table to replace Salah and Robertson

Liverpool had also been linked with Dorgu as a potential left-back recruit to replace Robertson, and his ability to also field as a right-winger created an exciting possibility that he could be utilised as a temporary Mohamed Salah replacement if the Egyptian leaves this season on a free transfer.

Finding someone of the stature and relentless consistency to play in Salah's role is going to be incredibly difficult for the club and although the winger may well stay on Merseyside for a few more years if a contract extension can be agreed, alternatives options are already being assessed.

Ideally, you want your players to be able to simply concentrate on their work and perform their role to the best of their ability, but if a player is capable of a few different skills then they can be utilised in a very different way.

For example, Liverpool already uses Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch as temporary cover for their centre-backs, when they are primarily responsible for playing midfield. Likewise, Luis Diaz is a left-winger, but Arne Slot has been using him as a centre-forward in recent weeks.

So the prospect of having a player like Dorgu at the club would have been tempting for Liverpool, and so while it is certainly a step in the right direction for securing Kerkez, the club will have to look elsewhere if Salah were to move on at the end of the season.

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