Arne Slot accused of stopping Liverpool summer signing from exploding at Anfield: ‘Not one of his strengths’ | OneFootball

Liverpool manager Arne Slot is to be blamed for Milos Kerkez’s underwhelming performances for the defending Premier League champions this season, according to a Hungarian pundit.

Much was made of Kerkez when he joined Liverpool from Bournemouth in the summer of 2025 for £40million (€46m, $53.6m). With Andy Robertson showing signs of slowing down last season and Kostas Tsimikas never demonstrating that he is good enough to be a regular starter for Liverpool, Kerkez was supposed to make an immediate impact in the first team and make the left-back spot his own.

During the 2024/25 campaign at Bournemouth, Kerkez scored two goals and gave five assists in 38 Premier League matches.

Kerkez, though, was largely underwhelming in the opening months of the season for Liverpool, with Robertson showing up the Hungary international left-back with impressive displays.

Arne Slot, though, has persevered with Kerkez, who has made 17 starts in the Premier League but only two starts in the Champions League.

According to former Hungary international central defender Vilmos Sebok, Liverpool boss Slot is to blame for Kerkez not bringing his Bournemouth form to Anfield.

Sebok told Blikk about Kerkez ahead of the match against Arsenal: “At Bournemouth, under Andoni Iraola, he had to run a lot on the edge of the pitch.

“Slot is not asking him to do that. He has to adapt to the opponents’ play, do his part in running the ball and passing. That is not one of his strengths.

“But in recent matches, it has been clear that when he gets into the area, his game also improves.”

Milos Kerkez praised for Liverpool display vs Arsenal

Liverpool as a team have not been great under Slot this season, and Kerkez is one of the many players who have suffered as a result.

The 22-year-old, though, gave a commendable display for Liverpool in their goalless draw with Arsenal away from home at the Emirates Stadium in the Premier League on Thursday evening.

Former Manchester United right-back Gary Neville was hugely impressed with Kerkez and raved about how he played against Bukayo Saka.

Neville said on The Gary Neville Podcast: “Kerkez, who I’ve been critical of during this season for his way in which he settled into the Liverpool team, I thought he really stuck at it and was competitive and really sort of getting at Saka and sort of really aggressive in his defending, lower and a bit more fierce.

“So I thought he did well too.”

As announced on the Merseyside club’s official website after the game, Kerkez was voted Liverpool’s Carlsberg Player of the Match, the first time he has earned the award this season.

There are now positive signs about Kerkez, and Liverpool fans will hope that the right-back continues to thrive.

Meanwhile, Liverpool have been linked with Tottenham Hotspur defender Micky van de Ven, as sources tell us Spurs’ plan regarding the Netherlands international defender.