{"id":166279,"date":"2025-06-08T00:18:14","date_gmt":"2025-06-08T00:18:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/166279\/"},"modified":"2025-06-08T00:18:14","modified_gmt":"2025-06-08T00:18:14","slug":"liverpool-target-milos-kerkez-ditched-surprise-career-before-life-changing-phone-call","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/166279\/","title":{"rendered":"Liverpool target Milos Kerkez ditched surprise career before life-changing phone call"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Milos Kerkez looks set to clinch a big-money move to Liverpool from Bournemouth this summer and the talented Hungarian left-back has walked a long-winding road to Premier League stardom having also spent time in Italy with AC Milan<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/0_GettyImages-2212365188.jpg\" alt=\"Milos Kerkez\" loading=\"eager\"  \/>Milos Kerkez looks set to join Premier League champions Liverpool in the coming weeks(Image: Getty Images)<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">Milos Kerkez originally wanted to be a swimmer &#8211; now he&#8217;s itching to make a splash at <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/all-about\/liverpool-fc\" target=\"\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">Liverpool<\/a> following two remarkable seasons at <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/all-about\/afc-bournemouth\" target=\"\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">Bournemouth<\/a>. The tenacious Hungarian left-back&#8217;s spectacular growth has certainly come as no surprise to the Anfield hierarchy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">Reds sporting director Richard Hughes, formerly of Bournemouth, played a fundamental role in the \u00a315.5million deal that brought Kerkez to the <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/all-about\/premier-league\" target=\"\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">Premier League<\/a> with the Cherries in 2023.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">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.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">Bournemouth&#8217;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&#8217;s Fan Team of the Season following a stellar campaign under Andoni Iraola.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">Kerkez&#8217;s relentless energy and impressive consistency has charmed Liverpool, who regard him as the perfect heir to Andy Robertson&#8217;s throne as club-to-club negotiations continue between the parties. However, his electrifying displays had also left a notable impression upon <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/all-about\/real-madrid-cf\" target=\"\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">Real Madrid<\/a>, <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/all-about\/manchester-city-fc\" target=\"\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">Manchester City<\/a>, <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/all-about\/manchester-united-fc\" target=\"\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">Manchester United<\/a>, <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/all-about\/arsenal-fc\" target=\"\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">Arsenal<\/a> and Atletico Madrid, among others.<\/p>\n<p>READ MORE: <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/sport\/football\/transfer-news\/liverpool-wirtz-bid-bayer-leverkusen-35353321\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Liverpool&#8217;s hopeful deadline to complete Florian Wirtz transfer after making third bid<\/a>READ MORE: <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/sport\/football\/transfer-news\/liverpool-transfer-news-milos-kerkez-35352969\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Liverpool transfer target Milos Kerkez leaves team camp as statement released<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">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&#8217;s best clubs having previously signed for AC Milan from Hungarian outfit Gyor in 2021.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">Rossoneri legend Paolo Maldini, Milan&#8217;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 <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/all-about\/juventus-fc\" target=\"\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">Juventus<\/a> to the highly-coveted teenager&#8217;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.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">Kerkez later explained: &#8220;They left no stone unturned, if Paolo Maldini calls you personally, then you shouldn&#8217;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&#8217;re talking to the best left-back in the <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/news\/world-news\/\" target=\"\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">world<\/a>, every word is worth paying attention to.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/0_GettyImages-1359706251.jpg\" alt=\"Milos Kerkez\" loading=\"lazy\"  \/>Milos Kerkez playing for AC Milan<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">While Kerkez did not earn first-team minutes besides a practise match, he trained alongside the likes of Theo Hernandez, Rafael Leao and <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/all-about\/zlatan-ibrahimovic\" target=\"\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">Zlatan Ibrahimovic<\/a> and also played against a Liverpool side that featured Conor Bradley and Jarrell Quansah in the UEFA Youth League.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">He was humble enough to concede that physically, he &#8220;could not compete&#8221; with Milan&#8217;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 <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/all-about\/arne-slot\" target=\"\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">Arne Slot<\/a>, despite receiving various offers from Germany.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">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&#8217;s champions to even greater heights. Kerkez&#8217;s stunning rise to prominence, via six different countries, is a glowing reflection of not only his sacrifice &#8211; but his monstrous mentality.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/0_GettyImages-2172591940.jpg\" alt=\"Dominik Szoboszlai of Liverpool talks to Milos Kerkez of Bournemouth \" loading=\"lazy\"  \/>Milos Kerkez looks set to join Hungary team-mate Dominik Szoboszlai at Liverpool(Image: Simon Stacpoole\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">Shortly after deciding to ditch his swimming aspirations to prioritise his football career as an eight-year-old, Kerkez &#8211; <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/sport\/football\/transfer-news\/liverpool-transfer-news-milos-kerkez-35352969\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">released from Hungary&#8217;s national team camp on Saturday morning ahead of his impending switch to Merseyside<\/a> &#8211; 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 <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/all-about\/watford-fc\" target=\"\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">Watford<\/a> striker Tamas Priskin on what it was like to play in the Premier League.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">Fast-forward five years and national treasure Kerkez is already on course to eclipse Priskin&#8217;s 63 international caps for Hungary, having already made 23 appearances for his country.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">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&#8217;s \u00a360m switch to Anfield from RB Leipzig in the summer of 2023.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \"><a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/chat.whatsapp.com\/KpLVIG1AXsd0FvfduhjjzO\" target=\"\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">Join our new WhatsApp community<\/a> 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&#8217;t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you&#8217;re curious, you can read our <a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reachplc.com\/site-services\/privacy-policy\" target=\"\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">Privacy Notice.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package<\/p>\n<p>This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/affiliates\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Learn more<\/a><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/1745569994_974_0_Sky-Factbox.jpg\" alt=\"Content Image\" fetchpriority=\"auto\"\/><\/p>\n<p>\u00a343<\/p>\n<p>\u00a335<\/p>\n<p>Sky<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"AffiliateContent_content-buy-btn__xWiVO buy-btn\" aria-label=\"Buy button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.awin1.com\/cread.php?awinmid=11005&amp;awinaffid=213635&amp;platform=dl&amp;ued=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sky.com%2Fdeals\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer noopener\">Get the deal here<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">Sky has slashed the price of its <strong class=\"Strong_strong__e2x35\"><a class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.awin1.com\/cread.php?awinmid=11005&amp;awinaffid=213635&amp;platform=dl&amp;ued=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sky.com%2Fdeals\" target=\"_self\" aria-label=\"\" tabindex=\"0\" rel=\"noopener\">Essential TV and Sky Sports<\/a><\/strong> bundle ahead of the 2025\/26 season, saving members \u00a3192 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \">Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games next season, an increase of up to 100 more.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Milos Kerkez looks set to clinch a big-money move to Liverpool from Bournemouth this summer and the talented&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":166280,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8815],"tags":[884,1923,14384,69584,1029,52711,748,393,4884,42092,179,763,1127,69586,101,69585,16727,198,69587,16,15,599],"class_list":{"0":"post-166279","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-liverpool","8":"tag-ac-milan","9":"tag-afc-bournemouth","10":"tag-andoni-iraola","11":"tag-aris-fc","12":"tag-atletico-madrid","13":"tag-az-alkmaar","14":"tag-britain","15":"tag-england","16":"tag-great-britain","17":"tag-lega-calcio-serie-a","18":"tag-liverpool","19":"tag-liverpool-fc","20":"tag-liverpool-transfer-news","21":"tag-paolo-maldini","22":"tag-premier-league","23":"tag-rapid-wien","24":"tag-richard-hughes","25":"tag-sky-sports","26":"tag-tamas-priskin","27":"tag-uk","28":"tag-united-kingdom","29":"tag-whatsapp"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114644877638513148","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/166279","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=166279"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/166279\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/166280"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=166279"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=166279"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=166279"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}