Manchester City and Liverpool have won the Premier League for six consecutive seasons, with Liverpool winning in 2019/20 and 2024/25, sandwiching City’s four in a row between 2020/21 and 2023/24.
The two clubs have pushed each other to levels that were never seen in the Premier League before, producing dramatic last days and matches of outrageous quality.
Yet the clubs have rarely battled it out away from the pitch for big signings, but this could be set to change with Manchester City set to hijack Liverpool’s attempt to sign one Premier League star.
Manchester City looking to hijack move for Liverpool-bound Milos Kerkez
The i paper is reporting that Manchester City have made enquiries about Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez, who Liverpool are rumoured to be in pole position to sign.
The 21-year-old left-back is valued at £45 million after a breakthrough campaign for Bournemouth, which resulted in a nomination in the Premier League’s Team of the Season.
With Andy Robertson and Kostas Tsimikas performing below their previous levels this season, Arne Slot is looking to strengthen at left-back, and Hungarian Kerkez is seen as an ideal candidate.
Liverpool look set to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold with Jeremie Frimpong’s arrival at Anfield looking to be all but a formality, and Liverpool have wasted no time in taking part in talks with Kerkez’s representatives on top of the move for Frimpong.
However, a bid has not yet been made, meaning City look primed to rival the 2024/25 Premier League champions for his signature.
After a disappointing season, City are looking to overhaul their squad this summer, with Pep Guardiola also claiming that he doesn’t want a bigger squad, adding, “I will quit, make a shorter squad, I will stay”.
Josko Gvardiol, who is Manchester City's second-most expensive signing ever, a natural left-back has played at centre-back for large portions of this season, whilst Nico O’Reilly played at left-back in the FA Cup final, but it is not the youngster’s normal position.
The i have also claimed that City's director of football Hugo Viana is “a big fan of Kerkez”, whose contract at Bournemouth runs until 2028, meaning he has no release clause.
Having played Gvardiol, O’Reilly, Fabian Delph, and Joao Cancelo at left-back during his time at City, Pep Guardiola has rarely used a traditional fullback on the left-flank, with Kerkez set to buck that trend if he does sign for Manchester City.
