Latest news with #MohamedSalah
New York Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
How Liverpool signed Milos Kerkez, why they wanted him and what it means for Andy Robertson
For a young man who likes to stay out of the spotlight each summer, Milos Kerkez could be forgiven for changing tack this year. Usually, he will pitch up in a remote location and switch off his phone during the off-season. He likes to be out in the wild, fishing, as it helps him unwind — yet this summer, a £40million ($54m) move to Liverpool has taken centre stage. Advertisement Last week, before his move from Bournemouth was confirmed, Kerkez appeared on the Super Indirektno YouTube show alongside his father and agent, Sebastijan, to discuss his burgeoning career, with some of those memories leading back to Liverpool. Speaking in Serbian, the 21-year-old discussed the excitement of visiting Anfield as an opponent and how Mohamed Salah is the toughest player he has faced. Sebastijan then explained how Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes, who signed Kerkez from Dutch side AZ when he worked at Bournemouth, was the leading force in securing another move for his son. 'He brought us to Bournemouth, so if he said we go to India, then we go to India,' he said on the Serbian show. Merseyside was always the likely destination once Liverpool registered their strong interest and began piecing together the deal. It was months in the making and was held up slightly until all parties were satisfied with the terms. The final agreement came on Friday and after passing a medical, Kerkez has signed a five-year contract. There is still a little time for a vacation but hiding away will become much harder as a Liverpool player. Hughes and head coach Arne Slot believe Kerkez, who was born in Serbia but represents Hungary internationally, can significantly improve the team for years to come. He is seen as the long-term replacement for Andy Robertson, who has dominated the left side of Liverpool's team for six seasons. Yet for Bournemouth, who knew they could not hold onto their star performer when Liverpool came calling, it marks another day of mixed emotions. Dean Huijsen has joined Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain are negotiating for Illia Zabarnyi, with Europe's biggest clubs picking off Bournemouth's best players. Owner Bill Foley knows the huge sum of transfer money received will help the club rebuild for the future, but there are bigger plans for the years ahead. 'For us, it's a big deal because it tells young players: if you go to Bournemouth, look where you might end up — Liverpool, PSG, Arsenal, Real Madrid,' he told The Athletic. 'Our job now is to make them so happy that they never want to leave. We're partway there but not all the way yet. Advertisement 'We're in a position of bringing in younger players and if they're successful, within two or three years, they're coming to us saying they want to go and play in the Champions League. So our next step is we need to be in Europe consistently and have that to offer our players.' Flexibility is a key attribute Slot wants in a full-back. He often deploys them in narrow positions so they can influence build-up play in more central attacking areas and underlap their wingers. He also expects them to take up more traditional wide positions. One of Kerkez's standout attributes is his aggression in off-ball movement, as shown by the graphic below. According to SkillCorner, Kerkez made more underlapping runs than any Premier League player during the 2024-25 season (131, nearly double Robertson's 68 in third). Broaden that out across Europe's top seven leagues (as shown below), and you will struggle to find a player more active in making such underlapping runs. Kerkez is keen to exploit the space behind the opposition defence, also ranking fourth for overlaps, which highlights how he frequently wants to make positive runs forward and support his winger — often Antoine Semenyo on Bournemouth's left flank. Theoretically, that would dovetail well with Cody Gakpo and Luis Diaz, who benefit from overlapping full-backs. That was particularly true of Gakpo last season: those types of runs have opened space for the Dutchman's signature goal — cutting inside into space and striking a shot with his right foot. As The Athletic has previously analysed, underlapping runs from team-mates were vital for Liverpool's forwards, either by dragging an opponent out of shape or offering a passing option to cross from the byline. Kerkez's desire to break forward has translated to a strong attacking return from the full-back. No player created more chances from crosses than the 21-year-old last season (22). Only four defenders (Rayan Ait-Nouri, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Pedro Porro and Antonee Robinson) produced more than Kerkez's five Premier League assists last season. Two of Kerkez's assists came against Manchester City and demonstrated his different attributes. In the first assist, he powered past Phil Foden to the byline before cutting the ball back to Semenyo. In the second, an aggressive overlap allowed him to cross to Evanilson. Another overlap beyond Semenyo allowed him to set up David Brooks for the winner in a 1-0 victory over Everton. He has also taken 19 shots. Few have been high-quality opportunities, but his goal against Newcastle United demonstrated his impressive engine… … while he also showcased his overlapping threat to score against Wolverhampton Wanderers. Kerkez has the energy and intensity to play in Slot's side but there would be adaptation required as he would likely be asked to tuck in and form part of a back three during build-up. This is particularly pertinent when looking at his touch map for Bournemouth last season, highlighting that the majority of his touches (73 per cent) have come in the far-left channel of the pitch. Compared to Robertson, Kerkez is more of a dribbler and more inclined to get into the box, while the Scot is more creative and secure on the ball, relying on passes to move play forward. Defensively, Kerkez has been a much more passive full-back than Robertson, making relatively few tackle attempts and interceptions and preferring to force his opponent down the line. He struggles in the air — winning just 36 per cent of his aerial duels — but he is a solid tackler, with a 61.5 per cent true-tackle win rate. Repeating the form he showed for Bournemouth will now be key as he has been signed as Liverpool's primary left-back during a summer of change. Inevitably, this will have an impact on Robertson and Kostas Tsimikas and may force one of them to leave. Slot does not need three senior left-backs, especially when Liverpool can only name 17 non-homegrown players in the Premier League squad, and already the numbers are looking tight. Tsimikas started only nine Premier League games last season and would like the opportunity to play more regularly, but he is not in a rush to leave. Advertisement With strong interest in Robertson, Tsimikas, 29, who still has two years left on his contract, may be the player to stick around in support. Clubs have shown an interest in the Greece international this summer and all options will be considered to decide on the best way forward. Much of that, no doubt, will depend on what Robertson decides in the weeks ahead. Atletico Madrid had made the 31-year-old a priority, but they still have other options to consider. Robertson excelled in the second half of the season and started 27 of the 34 games before the title was wrapped up, but he has just one year left on his contract and knows his place is under threat. 'When you play for a big club like Liverpool, you expect challenges, you expect to have competition. I've always faced that and so has everyone in their own positions,' he said recently while on international duty with Scotland. 'We want the club to be ambitious. Wherever we fit into that, if you're happy with the role, you stay and do it. If you're not, I'm sure there will be some people out the door as well.' With Atletico keen, it is now down to Robertson to decide whether he is interested in the move or would prefer to stay around at Anfield until the end of his deal. Owen Beck, the 22-year-old left-back who spent last season on loan at Championship side Blackburn Rovers, may be called upon as backup if needed.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Harvey Elliott hails impact of Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk in helping him become a leader after stunning match-winning brace for England U21s
Harvey Elliott hailed the impact of Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk in helping him become a leader after he produced a match-winning brace to fire England to successive Under-21 Euros finals. Elliott produced two moments of magic in the second half against the Netherlands and as one of those in the leadership group this time around, compared to two years ago when he played more of a bit part role, he is relishing the extra responsibility. 'At so many moments throughout the season the likes of Mohamed Salah has had to score important goals, winning goals,' Elliott said. 'Towards the end of the season [Virgil] Van Dijk came up and scored a header in the 90th minute. 'I think things like that, to not give up, to keep going to the final whistle and take these opportunities, I think that's leadership. 'You can speak as much as you want on the pitch, you can say whatever, but at the end of the day when the moment comes and you need to show up, and you need to, for example, in my situation, score a goal. The Liverpool star broke the deadlock with a fearsome drive with his weak foot into the net 'It's about how you take that, and those opportunities are vital. 'Today I'm just so happy I was able to contribute and get the two goals to win us the game.' Is he ready to pull another rabbit out of the hat in Saturday's finale? 'Who knows? In the final it could be someone else,' Elliott added. 'I just hope I can keep the team spirits high and give the motivation to the team, that it doesn't have to be me or the attackers, it can be anyone in the team, because we're all amazing players and we deserve to be here.' One thing that has been ever-present during this tournament is that England's players are operating on belief, rather than hope. As for any fear on Germany or France, who they will face in the final, there is none and if there was it would be the beginning of the end, Elliott conceded. 'We all deserve to be here,' he said. 'The squad is incredible in terms of the quality, in terms of how we play football as a team, and the togetherness we have. 'The moment we have fear within ourselves is the moment it goes wrong. 'I think now, especially after the Spain game, the fear isn't there anymore. We can take on any team, we can play to the best of our abilities and we go into every game now thinking that we can win because we have the players, we have the squad, and we have the backing from the manager as well. 'There is no fear, it's just about us going out and delivering and we're doing that at the minute.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Liverpool 'makes contact' over Viktor Gyokeres transfer amid Darwin Nunez speculation
Liverpool has already enjoyed a very exciting summer. But even though Florian Wirtz can play as a No. 9, it's likely that a departure for Darwin Nunez would trigger a move for a replacement forward, with Viktor Gyokeres the latest name mentioned. Advertisement Right now, only Arne Slot and a handful of others know exactly what the plan is for how to use Wirtz, but it makes sense that he is arriving at least in part to replace the creativity lost when Trent Alexander-Arnold left the club. That could well see him play in an advanced midfield role, leaving Liverpool with a continued striker conundrum. While Luis Diaz played through the middle to reasonably good effect last season, Liverpool's dedicated options misfired. Diogo Jota barely contributed more than Nunez, leaving Mohamed Salah to pick up most of the slack from the right. READ MORE: Liverpool transfer news LIVE: Milos Kerkez medical, Marc Guehi latest, Darwin Nunez 'priority' READ MORE: 5 things on Richard Hughes to-do list after Milos Kerkez to Liverpool transfer is confirmed Advertisement Clearly, this problem did not prove terminal. Liverpool strolled to the Premier League title. Yet while it certainly makes sense to temper any criticisms of last season's side, given what it managed to achieve, it also makes sense to constantly strive for improvements. The arrival of Wirtz was a major statement in that regard, and Liverpool is seemingly not finished. Further incomings will probably now rest on outgoings, if only from a squad management point of view — Slot already had a hard time sharing the minutes among all of his talented players last season. But it could be a busy summer of departures. Caoimhin Kelleher has already gone, while the announcement of Jarell Quansah's move to Bayer Leverkusen appears imminent. Harvey Elliott is at a crossroads, especially after the arrival of Wirtz, and there have been constant murmurings about Jota and Diaz. Advertisement But crucially, erstwhile club record signing Nunez now appears to be nearing the exit door. Napoli is taking a keen interest, with Liverpool holding out for around $58 million. That would net Liverpool some book profit, after three years of amortizing the initial Nunez outlay. It would also represent some pretty good real-terms damage limitation, recouping around half of the initial outlay. Darwin Nunez could leave Liverpool this summer -Credit:Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images Such an outcome would embolden Slot to head back into the transfer market. The club is no doubt already making preparations for that eventuality, and contact has now apparently been made over a deal for Gyokeres. Advertisement According to Portuguese outlet Correio de Manha, the Sporting striker is on a shortlist of Nunez replacements at Anfield. In the past few days, Liverpool has got in touch to ascertain a price. It is not the only interested party. Gyokeres has also attracted admiring glances from Manchester United and Arsenal. And that should come as no surprise. The Swede scored 39 times in 33 league games last season, off the back of 29 goals in the campaign prior. Sporting, for its part, is therefore well within its rights to have set an asking price of $93 million (£68 million). If anything, it seems a little lower than expected. Advertisement Yet Liverpool has been enticed by a striker from the Portuguese league before. That journey looks set to end with Nunez moving to Napoli for half his original price after three tough years. And while it may not be fair to Gyokeres, fans might be hoping this latest "contact" is akin to the talks that Slot held with Rayan Cherki earlier in the summer. It makes perfect sense to have contingency plans, but that interest was dropped at once when a deal for the number one target (Wirtz) materialized. Who might be the equivalent number one target at center-forward? It's impossible not to wonder whether it is Alexander Isak. A compatriot of Gyokeres, he is unique in that he has proven his brilliance carries over to the Premier League. That would be reflected in an astronomical price tag, but the rumors will simply not go away. But Isak or Gyokeres would surely be an upgrade on Nunez, giving Slot even more weapons for the new campaign. Liverpool looks to be giving itself every chance of holding on to its newly-won title, with the most ruthlessly efficient transfer window seen at Anfield in many years.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Ibrahima Konaté disappointed with Liverpool contract offer as talks stall
Ibrahima Konaté is stalling on signing a new deal at Liverpool, raising fears at the club that another key player could run down his contract after this summer's departure of Trent Alexander-Arnold. The French defender enters the final year of his deal next month and is understood to have rejected Liverpool's initial offer of an extension. Advertisement Related: Florian Wirtz looks ready-made to be a key piece of the puzzle at Liverpool | Andy Brassell Konaté's contract talks were delayed by Liverpool's focus on negotiating with Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk last season, with both signing new two-year deals in April before re-signing the Dutchman's defensive partner became the club's priority. The 26-year-old is understood to be disappointed by the structure of Liverpool's offer, with his representatives believed to be pushing for a higher basic wage after the offer was heavily based on meeting certain performance targets. Failure to agree a new contract with Konaté before the end of the summer would leave Liverpool with a dilemma given the furore over Alexander-Arnold's move to Real Madrid. Although Liverpool eventually banked £10m for Alexander-Arnold because of Madrid's determination to sign him in time to play at the Club World Cup that fee is a fraction of his value. Andy Robertson is also about to enter the final 12 months of his contract, with Liverpool willing to sell him to Atlético Madrid if the left-back wants to leave. The goalkeeper Caoimhín Kelleher joined Brentford in an £18m deal this month with one year left on his contract. Advertisement Liverpool plan to revive discussions with Konaté later in the summer but are adamant they will not be forced into overpaying. After a busy start to the transfer window during which Liverpool have done deals worth a combined £145.5m for Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong, Arne Slot's central defensive options are the one remaining area of uncertainty. Jarell Quansah is on the verge of completing a £35m move to Bayer Leverkusen, and Liverpool are monitoring Marc Guéhi's situation at Crystal Palace, with Newcastle and Tottenham also interested in the England international. As the Guardian reported, the 24-year-old has made clear he will not sign a new contract at Selhurst Park, and with 12 months left he is eager to secure a move to a club that can offer guaranteed playing time before next summer's World Cup.
The Guardian
5 days ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Ibrahima Konaté disappointed with Liverpool contract offer as talks stall
Ibrahima Konaté is stalling on signing a new deal at Liverpool, raising fears at the club that another key player could run down his contract after this summer's departure of Trent Alexander-Arnold. The French defender enters the final year of his deal next month and is understood to have rejected Liverpool's initial offer of an extension. Konaté's contract talks were delayed by Liverpool's focus on negotiating with Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk last season, with both signing new two-year deals in April before re-signing the Dutchman's defensive partner became the club's priority. The 26-year-old is understood to be disappointed by the structure of Liverpool's offer, with his representatives believed to be pushing for a higher basic wage after the offer was heavily based on meeting certain performance targets. Failure to agree a new contract with Konaté before the end of the summer would leave Liverpool with a dilemma given the furore over Alexander-Arnold's move to Real Madrid. Although Liverpool eventually banked £10m for Alexander-Arnold because of Madrid's determination to sign him in time to play at the Club World Cup that fee is a fraction of his value. Andy Robertson is also about to enter the final 12 months of his contract, with Liverpool willing to sell him to Atlético Madrid if the left-back wants to leave. The goalkeeper Caoimhín Kelleher joined Brentford in an £18m deal this month with one year left on his contract. Liverpool plan to revive discussions with Konaté later in the summer but are adamant they will not be forced into overpaying. After a busy start to the transfer window during which Liverpool have done deals worth a combined £145.5m for Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong, Arne Slot's central defensive options are the one remaining area of uncertainty. skip past newsletter promotion Sign up to Football Daily Free daily newsletter Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football Enter your email address Sign up Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy . We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. after newsletter promotion Jarell Quansah is on the verge of completing a £35m move to Bayer Leverkusen, and Liverpool are monitoring Marc Guéhi's situation at Crystal Palace, with Newcastle and Tottenham also interested in the England international. As the Guardian reported, the 24-year-old has made clear he will not sign a new contract at Selhurst Park, and with 12 months left he is eager to secure a move to a club that can offer guaranteed playing time before next summer's World Cup.
