Below is a summary of the full article. Click here for the full version or go back to LFC Live.net

Liverpool’s left-back options are undergoing major surgery this summer with a new starter likely to be installed.

Andy Robertson has nailed down the left side of the defence ever since deposing Alberto Moreno in the winter of 2018.

Robertson has faced competition from Kostas Tsimikas at varying times, but the Scotland captain has always maintained his status as the regular first choice.

Now, things are about to change for Robertson.

Milos Kerkez has arrived from Bournemouth and with Liverpool spending £40m on him, the 21-year-old is likely to start more often than not.

Kerkez’s arrival will likely mean that Tsimikas is sold, but after Atletico Madrid pulled out of a move for Robertson, the 31-year-old is set to stick around and provide competition for Kerkez.

However, Robertson is out of contract in 2026.

Given he will be 32 and no longer a regular starter, it seems more than likely that the veteran will move on from Liverpool.

If and when that happens, it is starting to become clear who the Reds could target as Kerkez’s next number two.

Photo by ANP via Getty Images

Although Liverpool have a clear plan for left-back this season, things do not always work out in football.

There is a chance Robertson ends the year having regained the shirt, for example.

But in the likely event that this is his last season at Anfield, plans need to be formulated for Liverpool to have two quality left-backs beyond 2026.

MORE LIVERPOOL STORIES

As a result, fans should take interest in suggestions that Liverpool looked into a move for Maxim De Cuyper before signing Kerkez.

Reports have suggested that De Cuyper could leave Club Brugge for around £14m this summer, making him a far cheaper option than Kerkez.

READ MORE: Milos Kerkez suggests he plays more like ‘machine’ former Liverpool left-back than Andy Robertson

But the fact that he is yet to move may give Liverpool hope of lining up a deal for 2026.

With De Cuyper’s price-tag being less than one third of Kerkez’s, it is relatively clear that the Reds see him as a potential back-up.

Had Tsimikas and Robertson moved on this summer, for example, the Belgian may have been targeted.

As both Tsimikas and Robertson are likely to have left the club by 2026, a transfer for De Cuyper would seem a lot more probable.

As well keeping an eye on players such as De Cuyper in the coming season, Liverpool fans should also take note of what is going on within their own academy.

Should a young left-back come onto the radar over the course of the campaign, they could announce themselves as a potential long-term option.

In that respect, Liverpool fans should be aware of Clae Ewing, who has been earning some good reviews with the U18s.

Ewing is an exciting talent who could see a pathway through to the first-team should the likes of Robertson and Tsimikas leave.

But after sounding De Cuyper out over a move that never came about, we wouldn’t be surprised to see the Belgium international back on the radar in a year’s time.