United Lining Up Swoop On Premier League Rival For 20 Year Old Defender But ‘High Fee’ Will Be Needed

Manchester United are weighing up a potential bid for Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez, according to talkSPORT.

The 20-year-old only joined the Cherries from AZ Alkmaar for £15.5m last July but he is now attracting the attention of the Red Devils.

As Kerkez has only recently moved to the Vitality Stadium, though, his club are not expected to let him leave without putting up a fight.


TalkSPORT claim that the Hungarian international may only be let go for a “high fee” which could prove to be an issue for Erik ten Hag’s side.

They are not looking for Kerkez to replace Luke Shaw, with the player being seen more as cover for the England star. For that reason, paying an excessive amount for someone who would only be a backup option is not on the cards.

Why are United pursuing the Bournemouth star?

Shaw’s fitness problems are well-documented. He has missed a significant chunk of the season due to muscular and leg injuries.

His understudy Tyrell Malacia has arguably had an even tougher time. The Dutchman has suffered more than one setback from a knee injury, which has meant that he hasn’t played a single minute of football this season.

Recruiting a left-back is, therefore, one of the club’s priorities for the next transfer window, and Kerkez has seemingly been identified as the top option.

There will be competition for Kerkez

Journalist Ben Jacobs originally reported back in February that the Red Devils were scouting the Hungarian, but he also said that Chelsea were keeping an eye on the same player.

It looks like the two clubs will go head-to-head for more than one target over the coming weeks, with both sides believed to be pursuing the signature of Crystal Palace’s Michael Olise as well.

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David Tully

David Tully

David has worked as a football reporter for the last fifteen years. Having started as an intern at Snack Media, he then went on to become a freelancer, working on various different sites. At the start of 2023, he took up his current role as content writer for National World's Football News Network.