£40m Liverpool star set for huge opportunity under Andoni Iraola | OneFootball

Andoni Iraola Could Be The Key To Reviving Milos Kerkez At Liverpool

Milos Kerkez arrived at Liverpool from Bournemouth for £40m with a clear idea attached to him, an aggressive, ball-carrying, overlapping left back who had thrived under Andoni Iraola. Yet, as Dave Davis and Michael Reid discussed on Anfield Index, that version of Kerkez did not always appear under Arne Slot.

The point was not that Kerkez suddenly became a poor player. It was that Liverpool may not have used him in the way that made him so effective at Bournemouth.

Kerkez Looked More Natural Under Iraola

Davis framed the issue by noting that Kerkez had been in the “Premier League team of the year under Iraola,” which was why Liverpool “forked out 40 million quid” for him. He then asked whether Iraola could now “revitalise” Kerkez and bring him back to the level that made Liverpool sign him.

Reid’s answer was especially interesting because he did not only point to Kerkez himself. He said, “one thing that I think points to that he can isn’t just Kerkez’s stats here,” before highlighting how well Bournemouth’s replacement left back performed under Iraola too.

For Reid, the “common link between Kerkez in 24/25 and Truffert this season is Iraola as a manager.” That was the key line. Iraola appears to have a clear idea of what he wants from his full backs, and Kerkez has already shown he can flourish within that structure.

Ball Carrying Was The Big Drop Off

The most striking part of the conversation came when Reid compared Kerkez under Iraola with Kerkez under Slot. He said Kerkez had started “every single game” in Iraola’s Bournemouth side and got “five assists,” while at Liverpool he only managed one.

Reid then focused on what changed in his game. “One thing that was notable is he’s crossing less this season,” he said, despite the fact Kerkez was actually “getting the ball more” because Liverpool had more possession.

That led to the most important tactical point. Reid said Kerkez’s “ability to run with the ball” was a strength in 2024/25, but added, “I think that’s something we didn’t unlock this season.”

Davis picked up on the same thing, pointing to the carry progression numbers, “87.4 with Bournemouth down to 62.5 with us last season.” In other words, Liverpool had the same player, but not the same threat.

Photo: IMAGO

Slot’s System Did Not Suit Kerkez’s Strengths

Davis said many supporters expected “flying fullbacks” when Liverpool signed Kerkez, but instead saw him “tucked at Van Dijk’s hip a lot.” Reid agreed that it looked like a tactical choice.

“It was clearly a choice,” Reid said, comparing it to how Andy Robertson had previously tucked in to allow Trent Alexander Arnold more freedom. The problem was that Kerkez was not being used in the role that had made him valuable.

Reid’s assessment was blunt, “that wasn’t playing to his strengths.” He added, “I think a lot of Liverpool fans agree.”

That is where Iraola’s arrival could matter. Reid suggested Kerkez may now be allowed “to play to his strengths a lot more,” including getting forward, putting in more crosses and running with the ball more.

Iraola Can Rebuild Liverpool’s Left Side

Reid also linked Kerkez’s improvement to Cody Gakpo, saying he likes Gakpo and believes his struggles were “mainly down to the team struggling.” In Iraola’s system, he imagined a clearer partnership, with “Kerkez bombing on and the overlap,” giving Gakpo “the choice of cutting inside or finding him.”

That is the kind of simple tactical relationship Liverpool lacked too often. Kerkez is not at his best when he is reduced to a conservative build up role. He is at his best when he can surge forward, carry the ball and attack space.

As Reid put it, if Iraola can “refine this kind of form,” Kerkez’s Bournemouth numbers “could be a real strength for Liverpool next season.”

For Liverpool, Andoni Iraola’s arrival is about much more than one player. For Milos Kerkez, though, it could be the difference between looking like an expensive compromise and looking like the £40m full back Liverpool thought they had signed.