Liverpool target Kerkez ditched surprise career before life-changing phone call
Milos Kerkez originally wanted to be a swimmer - now he's itching to make a splash at Liverpool following two remarkable seasons at Bournemouth. The tenacious Hungarian left-back's spectacular growth has certainly come as no surprise to the Anfield hierarchy.
Reds sporting director Richard Hughes, formerly of Bournemouth, played a fundamental role in the £15.5million deal that brought Kerkez to the Premier League with the Cherries in 2023.
The explosive AZ Alkmaar starlet, now 21, had already agreed personal terms with Lazio after netting against the Italians in the UEFA Conference League before a late intervention from Hughes swung the balance.
Bournemouth's pitch to the Kerkez family was centred around his development and unlocking his superstar potential. Their belief in his talent has since been vindicated in emphatic fashion after the all-action full-back was included in the Premier League's Fan Team of the Season following a stellar campaign under Andoni Iraola.
Kerkez's relentless energy and impressive consistency has charmed Liverpool, who regard him as the perfect heir to Andy Robertson's throne as club-to-club negotiations continue between the parties. However, his electrifying displays had also left a notable impression upon Real Madrid, Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal and Atletico Madrid, among others.
Serbian-born Kerkez is no stranger to big-name interest, in fact, he already has a firm grasp and understanding of the dedication and quality that is required to succeed at one of the world's best clubs having previously signed for AC Milan from Hungarian outfit Gyor in 2021.
Rossoneri legend Paolo Maldini, Milan's sporting director at the time, had studied video footage of the fresh-faced prospect upon the recommendation of club scouts and he pulled out all the stops to pip Juventus to the highly-coveted teenager's signature. In a late dash to beat the transfer deadline, the Italian icon even sent a private jet to Hungary to conclude the deal.
Kerkez later explained: "They left no stone unturned, if Paolo Maldini calls you personally, then you shouldn't think too much, you have to go! As a child, I watched many videos of him, we talked a lot and he gave me lots of advice, when you're talking to the best left-back in the world, every word is worth paying attention to."
While Kerkez did not earn first-team minutes besides a practise match, he trained alongside the likes of Theo Hernandez, Rafael Leao and Zlatan Ibrahimovic and also played against a Liverpool side that featured Conor Bradley and Jarrell Quansah in the UEFA Youth League.
He was humble enough to concede that physically, he "could not compete" with Milan's array of high-profile stars but when the Serie A giants pushed to send Kerkez on loan, he instead opted to seal a permanent switch to AZ, where he caught the eye of Arne Slot, despite receiving various offers from Germany.
The Hungarian international no longer looks, nor feels, remotely out of place on the world stage and his impending arrival at Liverpool looks poised to propel Slot's champions to even greater heights. Kerkez's stunning rise to prominence, via six different countries, is a glowing reflection of not only his sacrifice - but his monstrous mentality.
Shortly after deciding to ditch his swimming aspirations to prioritise his football career as an eight-year-old, Kerkez - released from Hungary's national team camp on Saturday morning ahead of his impending switch to Merseyside - moved to Austria where he spent five years with Rapid Wien. When the world later stood still in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, he would pick the brains of Gyor team-mate and former Watford striker Tamas Priskin on what it was like to play in the Premier League.
Fast-forward five years and national treasure Kerkez is already on course to eclipse Priskin's 63 international caps for Hungary, having already made 23 appearances for his country.
Kerkez, whose old brother plays as a left-back for Aris FC in the Greek Super League, is poised to become the second most-expensive Hungarian ever following compatriot Dominik Szoboszlai's £60m switch to Anfield from RB Leipzig in the summer of 2023.
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