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

Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez is about to get his wish and sign for Liverpool(Image: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

Liverpool are close to an agreement with Bournemouth to sign Milos Kerkez in a deal worth around £40m.

The Hungary left-back has been a long-standing target for the Reds and negotiations have been ongoing with the Cherries for a number of weeks, with a breakthrough now reached.

Kerkez, who is expected to sign a five-year deal, will become the most expensive left-back of all time on Merseyside, shattering the £12m fee that was paid for Alberto Moreno 11 years ago to land him from Sevilla.

A medical is reportedly expected to take place next week ahead of completing the formalities of the move, which will bring Liverpool's summer spending to around £185m after deals with Bayer Leverkusen for £29m Jeremie Frimpong and £116m Florian Wirtz, whose club-record switch will be rubber stamped imminently.

READ MORE:Arne Slot blown away by Liverpool player who has 'met all expectations' - 'not seen by many'READ MORE:What the ECHO understands about Liverpool transfer plans as Jarell Quansah closes in on £35m exit

Giorgi Mamardashvili will arrive from Valencia this summer too after a £29m transfer was arranged last year.

Kerkez has made little secret of his desire to transfer to the Reds across social media in recent months and it's thought the presence of sporting director Richard Hughes, who himself joined from the Vitality Stadium last summer, was an important part of the process for the 21-year-old.

Bournemouth had been waiting to bring in his replacement before the final touches on the deal to sell their defender were completed and after Adrien Truffert was signed for around £14m this week, the pathway was cleared for Liverpool to get their man.

Article continues below

Speaking this week on the Super Indirektno podcast, Kerkez's father, Sebastijan, said: "It's only Liverpool for us and we're not going anywhere else and we won't talk to other clubs.

"Everything is done between us, we just need to sort out some details, but it's basically a done deal.

"Richard Hughes brought us to Bournemouth, if he said we go to India, then we go to India, everything is agreed, just some little things [left to conclude]."

Article continues below

Kerkez moved to Bournemouth from AZ Alkmaar two years ago as a teenager for around £15m and made 67 appearances in total for the Cherries.

But he has been desperate to link up with his Hungary colleague Dominik Szoboszlai at Anfield and turn out for the Premier League champions.

Kerkez is expected to be part of the Reds contingent that reports for pre-season training on July 7 ahead of the first friendly of the summer at Preston North End six days later (July 13).