Premier League champions Liverpool have sealed the 拢40m acquisition of Milos Kerkez from Bournemouth , with the left-back penning a five-year deal at Anfield. This transfer brings England’s most successful football club ‘s summer expenditure to a potential 拢216m, following the signings of 拢29m Jeremie Frimpong and 拢116m Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen . Goalkeepers Armin Pecsi, who joined for 拢3m from Puskas Akademia, and Giorgi Mamardashvili, whose 拢29m move was agreed with Valencia last year, also bolster the Reds’ ranks. Hungarian international Kerkez jetted back to England on Monday (June 23) to undergo a medical and finalise paperwork at the AXA Training Centre, wrapping up his switch from the south coast. Bournemouth initially slapped a 拢45m price tag on the defender, but negotiations between Liverpool’s sporting director Richard Hughes and his counterpart at his former club, Simon Francis, eventually whittled down the fee to 拢40m. The sale ranks as Bournemouth’s third highest ever, equalling Nathan Ake’s 2020 move to Manchester City and trailing only the 拢60m departure of Dominic Solanke to Tottenham and Dean Huijsen’s 拢50m exit to Real Madrid this summer, reports the Liverpool Echo . Kerkez joins fellow Hungarians, national captain Dominik Szoboszlai and recent signing Pecsi, in the Liverpool squad. The ex-AZ Alkmaar prodigy also reunites with Reds sporting director Hughes, who previously brought him to Bournemouth in a 拢15.5m deal in the summer of 2023. The whopping 拢40m price tag outshines both the 拢12m Liverpool shelled out for Alberto Moreno from Sevilla in August 2014 and the 拢29m they splashed on Frimpong earlier this summer by triggering a release clause in his Leverkusen contract, making Kerkez the priciest full-back ever to grace Merseyside. The 21-year-old’s father and agent, Sebastijan, confirmed the move was “basically a done deal” during an appearance with his son on Serbian YouTube channel Super Indirektno last week, crediting Hughes’ pivotal role in the decision. “It’s only Liverpool for us and we’re not going anywhere else and we won’t talk to other clubs,” he declared. “Everything is done between us [personal terms] and we just need to sort out some details, but it’s basically a done deal. “We made that decision. Richard Hughes brought us to Bournemouth, and he’s a man who keeps his promises. If he said we go to India, then we go to India. Everything is agreed, just some little things.” Kerkez had been on Liverpool’s radar all summer, but the transfer could only be finalised after Andoni Iraola’s team secured a replacement. This came in the form of a 拢14m deal for Adrien Truffert from Rennes, while Julian Soler also joined the club back in January. Kerkez is set to join the Liverpool squad for pre-season training on July 7, ahead of their first friendly match of the summer against Preston North End six days later (July 13). The transfer has thrown the futures of both Andy Robertson and Kostas Tsimikas into uncertainty. Atletico Madrid have their eyes on Scotland captain Robertson, who is weighing up his options with his contract due to run out next summer. On the other hand, Tsimikas, who recently confessed to a “temptation” to seek more starting chances elsewhere, is being watched by several clubs including newly-promoted Leeds United. With the signing of Kerkez now sealed, Liverpool are set to focus on player exits as they aim to slim down their squad. Jarell Quansah is set to seal a 拢35m switch to Bayer Leverkusen after the European Under-21 Championships wrap up, while Liverpool are ready for bids for Darwin Nunez, with Napoli rumoured to be keen on the Uruguay striker. However, Kerkez’s arrival doesn’t mean the end of Liverpool’s summer shopping. They might also hunt for a new centre-back and a new forward, depending on player departures. As reported by the Echo on Friday, Liverpool are keen to rope in a young centre-back with great potential to fill Quansah’s boots as they evaluate their choices. Marc Guehi is also on their radar, with Liverpool spotting a potential market opportunity as the England international enters the final year of his Crystal Palace contract.