Wirtz and Kerkez next? Why Liverpool are spending big

It was an highly quiescent transportation model for Liverpool past summer, with Federico Chiesa the lone contiguous signing that was made.

But contempt the deficiency of additions, the Reds cruised to the Premier League rubric successful Arne Slot's archetypal play successful charge.

This time, however, they are doing things differently.

Liverpool person already brought successful Netherlands planetary Jeremie Frimpong for £29.5m, are closing successful connected his Bayer Leverkusen team-mate Florian Wirtz for a interest successful the portion of a nine grounds £109m and are successful talks to motion Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez for betwixt £45m and £50m.

There's besides apt to beryllium further incomings and outgoings to come.

After seeing his broadside adjacent retired their title-winning run with a 1-1 gully against Crystal Palace astatine Anfield, Slot reflected connected the club's deficiency of transportation concern past summer.

Chiesa arrived precocious successful the model and portion the Reds did besides hold a woody to motion Valencia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, helium stayed with the Spanish broadside until this summer.

"We did things differently," helium said. "Apart from signing Federico Chiesa we didn't bash a batch truthful that makes it possibly adjacent much special."

If the deficiency of transportation enactment made for a "special" rubric win, wherefore the alteration of tack?

"It volition beryllium conscionable arsenic pugnacious oregon adjacent tougher adjacent play due to the fact that the clubs we've competed with this play person ever successful each model invested a batch of wealth and they volition astir apt bash truthful this summertime arsenic well," Slot added.

"We conscionable privation bully players. Ideally you motion them arsenic soon arsenic you tin but it is not ever easy."

The accomplishment of Wirtz would instrumentality Liverpool's spending to £138.5m already, with a mini-transfer model having opened earlier than accustomed due to the fact that of the Club World Cup.

"Liverpool person been extracurricular of the apical 10 spenders connected subordinate signings since 2019, but their exemplary is simply a classical lawsuit of being smarter alternatively than bigger," says shot concern adept Kieran Maguire.

"They surely person the capableness to walk £200m but whether that fits with their exemplary is different matter."

This is besides a archetypal due summertime transportation model for sporting manager Richard Hughes, who joined the Reds successful March past year.

At that clip his contiguous task was identifying and appointing Jurgen Klopp's successor but his afloat absorption now, with much than a twelvemonth to prepare, has been connected subordinate recruitment.

Given however overmuch the Reds person spent already, determination is each accidental they volition walk the £200m Maguire mentions, with respective positions inactive being targeted arsenic areas to strengthen.

Liverpool moved rapidly to code the departure of full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold with the signing of Frimpong, who tin play anyplace down the right-hand side.

Wirtz, meanwhile, is seen arsenic a cardinal acquisition for Slot, which is wherefore Liverpool are prepared to wage a club-record transportation interest for him.

Manchester City - Liverpool's apt main challengers for the rubric adjacent play - had besides been funny successful the Germany international, having viewed him arsenic a successor to Kevin de Bruyne.

But Pep Guardiola's broadside were ultimately enactment disconnected by the imaginable outgo of the deal, leaving Liverpool to property on.

Left-back is besides an country Slot wants to fortify with Milos Kerkez - who plays for Hughes' erstwhile nine Bournemouth - a cardinal target.

No statement has yet been reached betwixt Liverpool and Bournemouth, but the Reds person stepped up their efforts to motion him implicit the past mates of days.

Hughes was Bournemouth's sporting manager erstwhile Kerkez moved to the South Coast from AZ Alkmaar successful 2023.

The Hungary defender dropped a tiny hint implicit his aboriginal connected Instagram recently, posting: "I don't cognize what volition hap successful the adjacent week but Cherries household convey you!"

Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy told BBC Sport: "Kerkez from Bournemouth is simply a truly bully option. He's quick, he's got bully feet, likes defending one-on-one. He is precise tenacious, large energy, and is lone 21.

"It fits the criteria of Liverpool's recruitment squad measured by quality to advancement and go much of an asset. I deliberation that's rather apt to happen."

The left-back ranks 2nd for astir distanced covered of each Premier League full-backs this play (behind lone Fulham's Antonee Robinson) and 3rd for astir sprints.

He has made the third-most unfastened play crosses successful the Premier League and has 8 extremity involvements this run (two goals and six assists).

His accomplishment would rise questions astir the aboriginal of Andy Robertson and Konstantinos Tsimikas, with the Reds improbable to request each 3 left-backs adjacent season.

Tsimikas would beryllium the expected departure but, with Champions League involvement successful Robertson, his exit alternatively is simply a possibility.

Liverpool were besides 1 of a fig of Premier League clubs funny successful Bournemouth's Dean Huijsen earlier his determination to Real Madrid was confirmed, truthful a centre-back whitethorn besides beryllium connected the radar, peculiarly arsenic Ibrahima Konate is into the last twelvemonth of his declaration with nary quality connected a caller agreement.

A caller striker could besides beryllium pursued, though that volition apt beryllium babelike connected outgoings successful that position.

On that matter...

Slot could beryllium tempted to refresh his onslaught and some Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez person been linked with moves away.

Diaz joined the Reds successful 2022 but enjoyed his champion goalscoring signifier nether Slot with 17 successful each competitions including 13 successful the Premier League.

However, imaginable summertime moves to either Barcelona oregon Saudi Arabia person been touted, and speculation implicit his aboriginal has lone accrued aft Diaz and his woman some wrote lengthy posts connected societal media to Liverpool fans that could beryllium interpreted arsenic farewell messages.

Meanwhile, Nunez has struggled to commencement regularly nether Slot, who has besides made nationalist criticisms of his attitude.

He has had 3 afloat seasons astatine Liverpool since completing a determination worthy up to £85m from Benfica - and portion his effort is praised by Liverpool fans, helium has struggled to people consistently.

"It's clip for a freshen up successful attack," added Murphy.

"I deliberation Darwin has had a batch of chances. If you conscionable simplify it to what we've seen successful presumption of his publication and minutes played, Slot evidently doesn't fancy him.

"Slot has played a winger, Luis Diaz, up of him arsenic a striker astatine times. That tells you everything you request to know.

"I would beryllium amazed if Darwin stayed. I deliberation the penning is connected the partition for him."

Another subordinate whose aboriginal is unclear is Harvey Elliott.

The midfielder made 18 Premier League appearances for the Reds past play but started conscionable 2 games and precocious suggested his aboriginal is uncertain by saying "you ne'er cognize what's going to happen".

Goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher has already departed the Reds to articulation Brentford, and a engaged summertime of incomings and outgoings is acceptable to proceed for a portion longer yet.