Liverpool's pursuit of left-back Julio Soler appears to have ended in failure, with Bournemouth reportedly in advanced talks with Argentine club Lanus for his signature this winter.
The Reds have the opportunity to move eight points ahead of second-placed Arsenal when they host Manchester United at Anfield on Sunday.
Little has gone wrong for Arne Slot this season given the Dutch manager has lost just once in his 27 games in charge, though veteran left-back Andy Robertson has at times struggled this term, giving away two penalties and being sent off in the first half of the campaign.
The Merseysiders have managed to get by despite his errors, but considering the 30-year-old looks to be declining, searching for a long-term replacement before he becomes too much of a liability would perhaps be sensible.
However, talkSPORT report that Argentinian left-back Soler is set to move to Bournemouth in an £8m deal in the coming days, despite Liverpool holding an interest in the 19-year-old.
Do Liverpool need a Robertson replacement?
Robertson has undoubtedly established himself amongst Liverpool's best ever left-backs and is arguably the club's best in Premier League history.
Despite his contributions to Jurgen Klopp's sides since his arrival at Anfield in 2017, it is apparent that the defender no longer possesses the same relentless energy he once had.
With his contract set to expire in 18 months, an exit from the club in the near future looks almost certain, though the Reds will likely look for options in the transfer market to replace him given Kostas Tsimikas has so far failed to nail down a starting spot whenever Robertson has been absent.
It should also be noted that Liverpool are trying to tie down Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold to lucrative new deals, and getting the Scotsman's wages off the books in the next year or so could be seen as one way of helping to fund such expenses.
Could this open the doorway for Milos Kerkez?
With Soler set to join Bournemouth in the winter, this could mean that the club are preparing for the exit of current left-back Milos Kerkez, who provided an assist for David Brooks's winner against Everton on Saturday afternoon.
Liverpool have been linked with a move for the Bournemouth defender, and he would be a good stylistic replacement for Robertson given he too is a relentless runner.
The Reds would likely have to fend off competition from several competitors including Manchester United, who have been credited with serious interest in the signature of Kerkez.
Kerkez would fit in well as a wing-back in Ruben Amorim's 3-4-3 system given his immense attacking quality, but Merseyside looks like it will be the more desirable destination next season considering United are 14th in the Premier League.
Should Liverpool miss out on Soler and Kerkez, perhaps they would turn their attention to the likes of Rayan Ait-Nouri, though he has admittedly struggled at Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2024-25. body check tags ::
