What will trigger next wave of Liverpool transfer business after Milos Kerkez confirmed

What will trigger next wave of Liverpool transfer business after Milos Kerkez confirmed

Liverpool have had a busy and impressive start to the summer transfer window

The arrival of Milos Kerkez from Bournemouth will take Liverpool's summer spending past the £200m mark (Image: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images )

If Liverpool left their rivals trailing in their wake in the Premier League last season, there's a strong argument to suggest they've done the same in the transfer market after the final ball of the campaign was kicked. The Reds are certainly not resting on their laurels, that's for sure.

While the worst-kept secret in football was confirmed when Trent Alexander-Arnold joined Real Madrid, Arne Slot and Richard Hughes have moved swiftly not only to replace the right-back but significantly enhance other areas of the squad too.

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The £29m Giorgi Mamardashvili and the £1.5m Armin Pesci have bolstered the goalkeeping department and have allowed Caoimhin Kelleher to move to Brentford for a fee that could rise to £18m.

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The £29.5m Jeremie Frimpong will battle with Conor Bradley for the vacant spot left by Alexander-Arnold while Milos Kerkez will soon boost Slot's options at left-back once his £40m move from Bournemouth is completed.

But the undoubted jewel in the crown of the Reds' summer business so far is the arrival of the prodigiously talented Florian Wirtz, whose switch from Bayer Leverkusen could eventually cost a British transfer record fee of £116m.

And Liverpool's business has not stopped there. However, after Kerkez's transfer is officially announced, supporters may have to wait a little while until further additions are made.

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Because what happens next at Anfield regarding incomings looks set to be dependent on outgoings.

As well as Kelleher and Alexander-Arnold, who cost Madrid £8.5m in order to release him from his contract early, the Reds will also recoup up to £3m for Nat Phillips, who has joined West Brom, and up to £35m for Jarell Quansah, who is on the verge of going in the opposite direction to Wirtz and Frimpong and signing for Leverkusen.

Those latter departures will leave Slot with three senior centre-backs to choose from in captain Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez.

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While the Liverpool boss could drop Ryan Gravenberch and Wataru Endo into the back four, it is understood the champions will now prioritise signing a younger defender, although Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi, who turns 25 next month, is a player of interest.

The England international will soon be in the final year of his contract at the FA Cup holders and, with it being widely reported he will not sign a new deal, he could be available for a cut-price fee this summer.

But it appears that the Reds will be willing to bide their time on that front. Instead the focus is now on deciding the fates of the players in the squad whose futures look uncertain.

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Andy Robertson, a modern day Liverpool legend, will face increased competition for his place next season from Kerkez and is wanted by Atletico Madrid.

Harvey Elliott, meanwhile, got nowhere the amount of game time he would have craved last season and his prospects look to have been further diminished by the arrival of Wirtz.

Fellow youngsters Ben Doak and Tyler Morton, who unlike Elliott have been restricted to just a handful first-team appearances for the Reds, also likely need to move on.

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And the same could be said of Darwin Nunez and Federico Chiesa, who are attracting interest from both Atletico Madrid and Napoli.

So having already banked up to £65m with the confirmed or impending sales of Kelleher, Alexander-Arnold, Phillips and Quansah, more exits look set to trigger the next wave of FSG spending.

The Liverpool owners have already committed to shelling out more than £200m on Wirtz, Kerkez, Frimong, Mamardashvili and Pesci.

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But maybe we should not be surprised given what chairman Tom Werner said immediately after the Premier League title was sealed last month: "We go again. It never gets old, winning. We owe it to all of our supporters to bring back a team even better next season. It's already (a) busy (summer)."

And as well as a centre-back, there is a strong suggestion that Slot would like a new centre-forward, with Newcastle United star Alexander Isak the dream arrival.

But as the signing of Wirtz proves, players at the top end of the field come with a premium, and it appears that the numbers will need to be reduced and the coffers boosted before a new No.9 arrives.

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