Aksel Kryhlmand
“He hasn’t really said goodbye yet, but I hope he’ll make it happen there.”
Bournemouth have completed the signing of French left-back Adrien Truffert from Rennes in a move that is expected to facilitate Milos Kerkez’s long-awaited transfer to Liverpool.
Truffert in, Kerkez out
Truffert, 23, arrives at the Vitality Stadium on a five-year deal, with the Cherries paying an initial £10.1 million—rising to £14.3 million with add-ons. His signing comes amid strong interest from Premier League and continental rivals, but Bournemouth moved decisively to win the race.
His arrival is widely seen as the precursor to Milos Kerkez’s expected move to Premier League champions Liverpool. Although the Reds are yet to submit a formal bid, ongoing dialogue with Bournemouth has accelerated since last week. The Hungarian international is valued around £45 million and has three years remaining on his contract.
Speaking to the club’s media, Truffert said:
It’s a great opportunity for me to keep progressing and to be part of an ambitious project. I felt the club’s confidence in me from the first discussions, and I’m excited to get started.
Liverpool’s left-back reshuffle
Kerkez’s potential arrival at Anfield could signal a shake-up in Liverpool’s left-back hierarchy. Andy Robertson, now in the final year of his contract and coming off a season riddled with uncharacteristic errors, is attracting interest from Atlético Madrid.
The Spanish club sees the 30-year-old as an ideal fit in Diego Simeone’s system, drawing comparisons to former Liverpool right-back Kieran Trippier’s successful spell in La Liga.
Liverpool also retain Kostas Tsimikas but are reportedly open to offers for the Greek international.
On his future, Robertson said during the recent international break:
We want the club to be ambitious, they’re doing that and wherever we fit into that, if you’re happy with the role you stay and do it, and if you’re not then I’m sure there will be some people out the door as well.
Kerkez to Liverpool?
Meanwhile, Bournemouth midfielder Justin Kluivert has suggested that his teammate’s move to Anfield is likely:
He’ll probably go there. I hope so for him,” Kluivert told Voetbal Primeur. “He hasn’t really said goodbye yet, but I hope he’ll make it happen there.
Club optimism
Tiago Pinto, Bournemouth’s President of Football Operations, praised the early capture of Truffert:
Adrien is a player we’ve admired for some time. He brings significant experience despite being only 23. We’re thrilled to bring in a player of his quality so early in the window as we look to build on a record-breaking season.
What’s next
With Truffert’s arrival sealed and Kerkez seemingly Liverpool-bound, attention now turns to whether Robertson will make the switch to Spain.
One move may soon set off a domino effect shaping the full-back market at the top end of European football.