Bournemouth have completed a deal to sign left-back Adrien Truffert from Rennes, which is set to grant Milos Kerkez his move to Liverpool.

Truffert, who has joined the Cherries in an initial £10.1m deal which could rise to £14.3m, is seen as Kerkez's replacement at left-back.

Liverpool and Bournemouth have been in contact since last week about Kerkez.

As it stands, there has been no formal offer made by Liverpool for Kerkez, who is valued at around £45m. The 21-year-old still has three years left on his contract at Bournemouth.

Bournemouth faced competition for Truffert, 23, who had been the subject of interest from other sides in Europe and the Premier League.

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Watch Liverpool target Milos Kerkez's best Premier League moments for Bournemouth

Truffert has signed a five-year deal at the south coast club and will link up with Andoni Iraola's squad at the start of pre-season.

"It's a great opportunity for me to keep progressing and to be part of an ambitious project," Truffert told the club's media channels. "I felt the club's confidence in me from the first discussions, and I'm excited to get started.

"It's a dream for any player to play in the Premier League. It's one of the best and most competitive leagues in the world. I'm looking forward to testing myself at this level, facing top players every week, and helping the team achieve great things."

Meanwhile, Bouremouth's President of Football Operations Tiago Pinto said: "We're delighted to bring such an excellent talent to the club so early on in the window. Adrien is a player that we've admired for some time and he brings significant experience to the squad despite still being just 23 years of age.

"We're excited to work with Adrien and are thrilled to have a player of such quality join us as we look to build on a record-breaking season for the club."

Kluivert: Kerkez likely to join Liverpool

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Saturday Social's Nieve Petruzziello and Faysal look at how Arne Slot will rebuild his Liverpool squad this summer in his attempts to win another Premier League title.

Bournemouth midfielder Justin Kluivert believes team-mate Kerkez will "probably" join Liverpool this summer.

Kerkez is the subject of interest from the Premier League champions, who are looking for a new left-back.

"He'll probably go there. I hope so for him," Kluivert told Voetbal Primeur last week.

"He hasn't really said goodbye yet, but I hope he'll make it happen there."

Will Robertson move to Atletico Madrid?

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European football expert Kevin Hatchard explains why Andy Robertson would be the perfect fit for Diego Simeone and could mirror the success of Kieran Trippier at Atletico Madrid.

Meanwhile, Liverpool left-back Andy Robertson could leave Anfield in the wake of Kerkez's imminent arrival, with Atletico Madrid interested in the Scotland captain.

Robertson is heading into the final year of his contract at Anfield and his form for Liverpool came under scrutiny last season after errors had slipped into his game after years of consistency.

Liverpool also have Kostas Tsimikas currently on their books but would be open to offers for the Greek left-back.

"When you play for a big club like Liverpool you expect challenges, you expect to have competition, I've always faced that and so has everyone in their own positions," Robertson said recently while on international duty.

"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. That's the nature of football."

Sky Sports to show 215 live PL games from next season

From next season, Sky Sports' Premier League coverage will increase from 128 matches to at least 215 games exclusively live.

And 80 per cent of all televised Premier League games next season are on Sky Sports.

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Photo by Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images

A loss Thursday would be a devasting blow in an already frustrating 2024/25.

As is the case for any (sobs) 14th-place team, Tottenham Hotspur's season hinges on competitions outside the Premier League. A bye into the Europa League Round of 16 keeps that avenue open, and the FA Cup remains a possibility as well, but the most immediate and realistic path to silverware is the League Cup. Yes, the road is brutal, with a trip to Anfield before a final against Newcastle, but only 180 minutes separate Spurs from ending their long-standing trophy drought.

That makes Thursday the biggest match of the season so far. Tottenham impressed in the semifinal's first leg, grinding out a 1-0 win despite ceding possession, absorbing pressure, and deploying a makeshift backline. Now, the battle shifts to Liverpool, where the country's best team will be confident in its ability to overcome a one-goal deficit. Spurs enter as clear underdogs but must find a way to advance.

Semifinals (2nd Leg): Liverpool (0) vs. Tottenham Hotspur (1)

Date: Thursday, February 6
Time: 3:00 pm ET, 8:00 pm UK
Location: Anfield Stadium, Liverpool
TV: Paramount+ (USA), Sky Sports Main Event (UK)

Since the first leg, Liverpool has gone 5-1-1, with the lone defeat coming in a meaningless Champions League contest with a rotated lineup. With a Premier League title in sight and a strong European campaign underway, one might assume this competition sits lower on the priority list. Unfortunately for Spurs, there are no significant matches on Liverpool's immediate horizon, meaning Arne Slot is likely to field a strong XI at Anfield.

Both teams were relatively cautious in North London, though for different reasons. Tottenham's approach was shaped by a defense missing three of its four preferred starters, alongside a newly introduced Antonin Kinsky. Ange Postecoglou now has the opportunity of choosing from options like Kevin Danso and Mathys Tel, though plenty of important names like Micky van de Ven remain injured.

For Liverpool, the decision to play pragmatically was likely strategic — returning home with just a one-goal deficit seemed an acceptable trade-off. Having made that decision, Slot's side will now bring intensity reminiscent of December's league fixture. Players like Luis Diaz, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Dominik Szoboszlai were all absent from the first leg's starting lineup, but may be called upon Thursday with the objective more clear.

A few moments of greatness

Tottenham will not see much of the ball at Anfield. Liverpool will dominate possession, generate the bulk of the chances, and apply relentless pressure in Spurs' defensive third. That is a daunting prospect for cobbled-together squad; the number one priority is minimizing mistakes, especially with a lead to protect.

That said, Spurs must be willing to attack when opportunities arise and will not need much possession to be dangerous. Both Dominic Solanke's narrowly disallowed goal and Lucas Bergvall's successful strike in the first leg came via direct play over the top. Exploiting Liverpool's high press with quick, vertical attacks could be Tottenham's best path to maintaining the advantage.

If Spurs can capitalize on a pressing opponent and snatch an insurance goal, the tie will come down to their ability to weather the inevitable storm. Recent form does not inspire much confidence in their defensive resilience, but Tottenham has produced surprising performances against top teams this season. Postecoglou will need another one to keep his second-season trophy promise alive.

Liverpool fans will have seen the social media stories circling that both Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk signing a new contract, something Arne Slot was asked to comment on.

Speaking (via 90min.com), our head coach said: "We have some contractual situations that you don't probably don't know about.

"But Trent, Mo and Virgil haven't extended yet. So we are aware of the fact that we have to be sharp and ready for things that can happen.

"My life is mainly short term but we have so many quality people at this club that look at the longer term as well.

"You always have to be prepared for all the new things coming up.

"The players that don't play a big part at the moment; will they be able to do this another year? Will they fight for their place or will they [want to] go somewhere else?

"So we have to be prepared for the next window and what we can do."

The Dutchman doesn't really like to provide a direct answer on these topics, as it's not something he's directly involved in and prefers to allow time to pass.

However, confirmation that contracts have not been signed is a clear indication of the current situation and does debunk Robbie Fowler's theory.

Salah, Van Dijk and Trent have not yet signed a new contract Pictures via @MoSalah on X

John Barnes has stated that if he were in charge of the new deals, he would select our captain as the most important of the trio.

Many fans have their own opinions as to who they would or wouldn't allow to leave the club but it does feel that the overwhelming majority want all three to commit their future to staying on Merseyside.

You would assume the club can afford to do this but whether the financial model allows it is another question.

It's the same situation we've been in all campaign but we can take from this that no deals have yet been signed and it doesn't feel like we're close to them being done either.

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The post Arne Slot directly responds to rumours of Salah and Van Dijk’s new contracts being signed appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold are all out of contract in the summer, with Liverpool at risk of losing all three of their stars for nothing

Liverpool are set to face Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield in the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg tonight.

The Reds lost the away first leg 1-0 controversially courtesy of Lucas Bergvall's late goal but he really should’ve been sent off earlier.

Newcastle United have reached the final by beating Arsenal in the other semi-final so the winner of this tie will take on the Magpies at Wembley on 16th March.

As per team news, Joe Gomez and Diogo Jota have returned to full fitness after recovering from their injury problems but Trent Alexander-Arnold has sustained an issue since featuring against the Cherries. So, he has been ruled out.

Predicted Liverpool lineup vs Tottenham

Caoimhin Kelleher has been playing in the cup competitions but Alisson Becker started in the previous leg at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and the Brazilian may continue in goal for the hosts tonight.

Jarell Quansah has started all the Carabao Cup matches thus far this season but considering the importance of the fixture tonight, Ibrahima Konate is expected to be called upon to feature alongside Virgil van Dijk in the CB position.

Conor Bradley would replace injured Alexander-Arnold and Kostas Tsimikas might get the nod to start in the left-back position ahead of Andy Robertson.

Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister are likely to continue in the engine room with Dominik Szoboszlai in the CAM role. Therefore, Wataru Endo and Curtis Jones could be among the substitutes.

Cody Gakpo has also played all the League Cup games and should continue in his preferred left-wing position, while Mohamed Salah would be on the opposite side.

Luis Diaz may start again in the CF role, therefore, Darwin Nunez and Jota could feature off the bench if needed. Here is how Liverpool could line up vs Tottenham:

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