Liverpool’s summer overhaul always felt ambitious, a club aiming to reset after winning the Premier League title under Arne Slot last season. Yet as the 2025-26 campaign beds in, scrutiny is sharpening around Milos Kerkez, the £40m left back investment from Bournemouth. Credit to TeamTalk for the original reporting that sparked this debate, highlighting growing noise around whether Liverpool have second thoughts on the Hungarian’s arrival.
That figure, £40m, carried high expectations. Liverpool rarely make emotional signings, they tend to be meticulous, analytical, patient. This was meant to be the long term successor to Andy Robertson, a player who redefined the left back role at Anfield. Instead, a patchy start, a rating of 6.47 on WhoScored to date, and growing fan chatter have formed a backdrop to TeamTalk’s line that “lots of the attention has been placed on Kerkez, who has looked out of his depth during his Reds career so far”.
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Rotation Back in the Spotlight
Robertson’s return to the XI in the 2-0 win over Aston Villa only sharpened focus. Experience, calmness, defensive certainty, it felt like a reminder of old rhythms. As the report notes, “Liverpool have failed to produce their consistent best this season and already find themselves seven points behind leaders Arsenal”. That gap, early though it remains, matters for mood and judgement.
There is context. Robertson himself needed time after signing from Hull, as TeamTalk point out. Kerkez is 21, turning 22 this month. Youth brings volatility. The role he has stepped into carries tactical nuance and emotional weight. A Liverpool left back is not simply a defender, but a transition engine, a tempo-setter, a wide playmaker. That school takes time.
Dressing Room Pressure and Leadership Debate
The noise around Virgil van Dijk brings an unexpected layer. Craig Burley suggested the captain has contributed to the full back’s struggles, stating “he is really throwing him under the bus a little bit with his gesticulating to him in front of the crowd”. It is a striking charge. Liverpool’s dressing room strength is built on leadership and cohesion. If criticism has crossed the line from guidance to glare, that is a management issue for Slot.
Dean Jones’ clarification offers balance. “As far as I know, it is not the plan to go and sign another full-back despite the problems they have been having,” he told TeamTalk, adding that “signing more players is probably not going to be the solution to this”. That aligns with Liverpool’s philosophy. Development, not fire-sale correction.
Patience or Pressure Point Ahead?
Liverpool have seen young players stumble then soar before. Robertson, Fabinho, even Mohamed Salah took time in their careers to reach elite consistency. Kerkez has the physical profile, aggression, and tactical ceiling to succeed. A rocky opening does not make a failed project. Yet he must settle, learn, compete. This is Liverpool, not a finishing school.
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From a Liverpool supporter’s perspective, nerves are understandable. This club has lived through full back uncertainty before. From Alberto Moreno’s volatility to the post-Glen Johnson cycle, stability at the flanks is precious. After Robertson’s excellence, any dip feels dramatic.
Kerkez has looked rushed, hesitant, occasionally overwhelmed. Supporters are not demanding perfection, just signs of adaptation. The worry is psychological. If Van Dijk’s reactions really have “drained his confidence”, as suggested, then the dynamic needs fixing quickly. Young players can shrink under that spotlight. We saw similar strain when Naby Keita arrived with expectation, and we know how insecurity can snowball.
At the same time, patience is a virtue Liverpool fans have learned painfully. We heard “give Robertson time” in 2017, and it proved prophetic. Slot has earned credit already by delivering a title. If he believes Kerkez will grow, his judgement deserves space. But supporters will not want the momentum of a title winning squad to stall through bedding-in pains.
Right now, the hope is Kerkez adapts, Slot manages the dressing room dynamics, and Van Dijk remembers his role is to elevate teammates, not glare them into anxiety. The fear, whispered rather than shouted, is that Liverpool gambled on the wrong profile and may need to revisit the position sooner than expected. For now, patience holds, but confidence is thinner than ideal.
