Latest news with #AZAlkmaar
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Another Liverpool Exit Expected as Club Confirm £40m Deal
Liverpool Land Milos Kerkez in £40m Deal as Robertson Faces Crucial Decision Liverpool have confirmed the £40 million signing of Milos Kerkez from Bournemouth, making the Hungary international the latest piece in Arne Slot's reshaping of the Premier League champions. The 21-year-old joins a wave of ambitious summer business already completed, with Jeremie Frimpong and Florian Wirtz arriving for a combined £145 million. Advertisement 'It's a real honour for me, a privilege to come to play for one of the biggest clubs in the world, [the] biggest club in England,' Kerkez told 'I'm just really, really happy and excited.' Though the deal had appeared to stall momentarily, trusted journalist David Ornstein confirmed the delay was due to minor formalities. Now completed, Kerkez returns to Hungary before reporting for pre-season at the AXA Training Centre. Strategic Move Strengthens Left Flank Liverpool's intent to upgrade both fullback positions has been clear. Frimpong's arrival offers electrifying pace on the right, while Kerkez addresses growing uncertainty on the left. At 1.8 metres tall and with 61 Premier League appearances under his belt, the former AZ Alkmaar defender has adapted quickly to England's top flight. X: @LFC Advertisement His 2024/25 campaign yielded 2 goals and 6 assists, a marked improvement on his debut season. Importantly, he fits the mould of a Slot fullback — aggressive, technically sound, and capable of maintaining width while also operating inside when needed. Andy Robertson's Future in the Balance For Andy Robertson, this transfer creates a turning point. The Scot, who once defined Liverpool's counter-pressing identity down the left, is now considering his future while on holiday. Initial noises suggested a willingness to fight for his spot. But the club's decisive investment in Kerkez may have caused some introspection. Interest from Atletico Madrid offers Robertson a potential move to a less physically intense league, with the lure of more regular minutes. A switch to La Liga, where Trent Alexander-Arnold has already departed, would bring an end to an iconic Anfield chapter. Advertisement Should Robertson leave, Kostas Tsimikas, often the forgotten man in recent months, could see his Liverpool prospects dramatically revived. However, it's equally possible that Kerkez's arrival spells the end for both senior left-backs. Liverpool Send a Message This is not just about depth or rotation. Liverpool are signalling evolution. Slot's system demands more fluidity and athleticism from fullbacks than ever before. With Wirtz set to carry the creative burden in midfield and Frimpong and Kerkez providing thrust from the flanks, the squad is being tailored for sustained domestic and European success. The transition away from Klopp-era staples like Robertson and Alexander-Arnold might feel abrupt, but the moves align with a strategic overhaul — and Liverpool are executing it with purpose and precision.
BBC News
17 hours ago
- Sport
- BBC News
'Speed of change has not slowed' - Kerkez's rapid rise to Liverpool
Milos Kerkez has never been big on patience. "That's always the problem," he joked midway through his breakout season at AZ Alkmaar, a teenager already agitating to play more, train harder and reach 18-year-old's would have been happy just to be there. Kerkez wanted more - and always has. From leaving AC Milan's academy to become a first-team starter in the Eredivisie, to rejecting bigger names for a chance to explode at Bournemouth, his trajectory has only ever pointed one was born in Serbia and moved to Hungary at 15, vowing immediately to represent their national team. He captained youth sides despite barely speaking the language. "He's a crazy guy," one youth coach said. "He'll make it to a top-three league or be in prison." After all, Kerkez started as a number 10. By 16, he had moved to left-back and then, at 17, he signed for Milan. The speed of change has not AZ, the club handed him a dossier thicker than a phone book, containing stats on his reaction time, pressing habits and recovery devoured it. He tackled with his head, launched touchline assaults like a man possessed and emerged as one of Europe's most relentless full-backs. Bournemouth came calling with a well-crafted pitch - and won out over bigger then, he has been a talisman in Andoni Iraola's turbo-charged system, combining ferocity in defence with electricity going the pitch he is a Twitch streamer, a Fortnite fanatic and a forest fisherman. Maximus the rottweiler waits at home and, in Serbia, so does his father's dream of a farm and training centre, which Milos now hopes to is fiery and funny, and friends with new Liverpool team-mate Dominik when the Hungary starlet rifles into a top corner or tackles a winger with his forehead, you realise the kid from Vrbas is not just rising. He is he is doing it his way.
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Liverpool-bound Milos Kerkez sparked controversy in deleted post confirming move
Milos Kerkez has travelled back to the UK to complete his £40million transfer from Bournemouth to Liverpool, with this transfer going smoother than his move from AC Milan to AZ Alkmaar Milos Kerkez once sparked controversy with a social media post detailing his frustrated attitude about a lack of game time before his transfer was confirmed. The Bournemouth left-back has this week travelled back from a break in Belgrade to the UK to complete a medical ahead of a move to Premier League champions Liverpool. The 21-year-old has been the subject of transfer speculation over the last few weeks, and Cherries fans are now resigned to losing the talented defender to the Reds this summer. Over the 2024/25 season, Kerkez started all 38 games for Bournemouth in the Premier League, scoring two goals and assisting six times to help his team finish in ninth place. Now he's set to join Liverpool in a £40million move to become their third signing of the summer, after Bayer Leverkusen duo Jeremie Frimpong and Florian Wirtz both secured deals earlier in June. However, the hierarchy at Anfield may have to watch out for how they handle Kerkez's attitude given he sparked controversy during a transfer from AC Milan to AZ Alkmaar in 2022. The full-back was part of Milan's under-19 squad at the time and had only joined their team a year before, holding ambitions of playing in the senior side. However, these never materialised for the teen, leading him to post a now-deleted tweet ahead of his 2022 move to the Dutch league. OneFootball reports that in the post, Kerkez said: "Am very happy for the move I made with my family and agents, time to perform in senior team," alongside a shushing-face emoji. However, this post was deleted and replaced instead with: "Wait for tomorrow," using the same emoji. A day later, on January 29, Kerkez's move to AZ Alkmaar was confirmed. He spent a season and a half in the Eredivisie, scoring five goals and assisting eight times in 57 appearances for the club. Now in 2025, Kerkez has become a standout performer for Bournemouth, making 74 appearances across two full seasons and impressing from a defensive point of view. Liverpool may need to keep their wits about them with the youngster, however. While he's now got plenty of experience for club and country, boasting 23 Hungary caps, his previous actions showcase that his attitude may need to be kept in check. Given his price tag, it's assumed he'll be first-choice under Slot next season. But Liverpool still do have both Andy Robertson and Kostas Tsimikas on their books for the time being. Robertson has been linked with a move to Atletico Madrid after a lacklustre season, while Tsimikas is believed to be assessing where he might fall in the pecking order after stepping up when required in the title-winning campaign. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Telegraph
3 days ago
- Sport
- Telegraph
Live England vs Netherlands: Lineups and latest updates from Under-21 European Championship semi-final
England were underdogs against tournament favourites Spain in the quarter-finals but now there is expectancy that Lee Carsley's team can defend their Under-21 European Championship crown. The 3-1 victory over Spain was an absorbing watch, and this evening they face a Netherlands team managed by former Barcelona right-back Michael Reiziger. The Dutch are missing Ruben van Bommel, son of Mark, owing to suspension but the core of their team are plucked from AZ Alkmaar's 2023 Uefa Youth League winners. We can expect some changes to England's team with Carsley managing his resources in punishing summer temperatures in Slovakia. Elliot Anderson influenced the Spain contest from the bench but is expected to start in midfield. Jonathan Rowe, Brooke Norton-Cuffy and Ethan Nwaneri are also pushing for inclusion from the start. Carsley hopes that England's success at youth level is changing perceptions on the continent. 'The skill of a coach is making sure you get the best out of the players that you've got in front of you, not trying to make them something that they're not,' Carsley said. 'I think we've done quite well in that. 'We've tried to put them in positions where they can be really effective, whether that be with or without the ball. 'Ideally, and I've spoken to the players about it, you want to coach a team where you're watching the team play and you're enjoying watching them. And that Spain game and the second half of the Germany game, you're on the side, enjoying watching the players play and expressing themselves. 'You want foreign journalists to speak about our players the way that we sometimes speak about their players in terms of their technical ability or the way that they can take the ball. I think we're definitely changing that perception of English players.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
What Shirt Number Will Milos Kerkez Wear at Liverpool?
Kerkez Arrival Signals New Era on Liverpool's Left – But What Number Will He Wear? Hungary's Milos Kerkez Edges Closer to Liverpool Switch Liverpool are poised to confirm the arrival of Milos Kerkez, the highly-rated 21-year-old Hungarian international, in a move worth approximately £40 million. His medical has been completed on Merseyside, and as reported by Fabrizio Romano, both parties are moving quickly to finalise personal terms. The deal signals a serious intent by Arne Slot, Liverpool's new head coach, to reinforce the left side of defence amid continued interest in Andy Robertson from Atlético Madrid. Advertisement Kerkez arrives with pedigree. Despite his youth, he brings experience from top leagues and international football, and crucially, a style that aligns with Liverpool's transition under Slot. But beyond tactical fit, one question lingers on supporters' minds: what shirt number will Kerkez wear at Anfield? Photo IMAGO Anfield Options Reflect a Shifting Squad Kerkez is familiar with a range of shirt numbers from his young but varied club journey. At ETO FC Győr, where he began his professional career, he wore No. 5, more commonly a centre-back's territory in English football. During that early period, he also turned out in No. 14 and No. 11, hinting at flexibility rather than tradition. Advertisement At AZ Alkmaar, he took the No. 26 shirt, notably the same number currently worn by Andy Robertson. At Bournemouth, Kerkez adopted the classic No. 3, traditionally the domain of a left-back, a signal of growing confidence and positional clarity. However, at Liverpool, the No. 3 shirt is currently occupied by Wataru Endo, and there's no suggestion the Japan international is set to vacate it imminently. Number 6 Presents a Symbolic Option The No. 6 shirt could present a clean alternative. Vacated by Thiago Alcântara following his departure in 2024, it carries a certain prestige. While not traditionally worn by left-backs in England, the number has significant continental weight, often donned by defenders in European football. Advertisement Another possibility lies with No. 21, currently held by Kostas Tsimikas. With the Greek international reportedly attracting transfer interest, that shirt may also become available. For Kerkez, it would represent a fresh chapter, away from the expectations associated with his previous numbers. Shirt Number Could Follow Robertson Exit Intriguingly, Kerkez might yet end up in No. 26, if Andy Robertson completes a rumoured move to Spain. Should that materialise, the Hungarian would not just succeed the Scot in position but also in number. The symbolism would not be lost on fans. It would feel like a passing of the torch: from a modern Liverpool great to a player with the potential to carve out his own Anfield legacy. For supporters, the shirt number may seem a small detail. But in the tradition-bound world of football, such choices matter, they echo identity, confidence, and heritage.
