Milos Kerkez could stand to gain a lot from Liverpool sacking Arne Slot.
His debut season at Anfield has not lived up to expectations, with the 22-year-old looking far from the player Liverpool thought they were getting from Bournemouth. There is still a big talent there, but Slot has not found a way to consistently bring it out.
A man who did bring out the best in Kerkez is Andoni Iraola. If Liverpool are to make a change in the dugout, the soon-to-depart Bournemouth boss may be better placed than anyone to unlock the Hungarian again.
And he’s on Liverpool’s radar.
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Andoni Iraola can unlock Kerkez if he joins Liverpool
Iraola has been named as a realistic option Liverpool could look at if they decide to move on from Slot.
There is obvious logic to that. His football looks closer to Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool than almost anything seen under Slot this season, or anything on the market right now.
But Kerkez would have an extra reason to be excited.
The left-back played the best football of his career under Iraola at Bournemouth. He finished last season with two goals and five assists in 38 league appearances.
This season, the numbers have dropped. Kerkez has two goals and one assist in the Premier League for Liverpool, which is not disastrous, but he is not getting into threatening positions with any sort of regularity.
His passing and crossing numbers, which were so elite last season, have fallen off a cliff, while he ranks in the bottom 20% of PL full-backs for defensive contributions per 90.
Liverpool signing Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong in the same window felt strange at the time, and it doesn’t make any more sense after this season.
Both are hugely attack-minded full-backs. Both naturally look suited to a system that gives them licence to fly forward, maybe even in front of a back three. That has not really looked like the plan under Slot, and Kerkez has suffered for it.
Iraola already knows how to use him. One of his biggest strengths at Bournemouth has been improving young players.
Is Andoni Iraola the right man to replace Arne Slot this summer? 🤔
Liverpool are said to admire Iraola, but they are not alone, and the longer they wait, the harder it may become to bring him to Anfield.
For Kerkez, the appeal would be obvious. He has already shown he can be one of the Premier League’s most dangerous full-backs in the right system. If Iraola arrives at Liverpool, he might quickly start looking like that player again.
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