Liverpool remain front-runners to sign Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez, talkSPORT understands.
Sources have played down suggestions Manchester City are ready to swoop for the £45million-rated Hungarian left-back.
Liverpool are eyeing Kerkez as a long-term replacement for Andy Robertson.
Sky Sports reported that City and Real Madrid are also interested in a move for the 21-year-old.
But talkSPORT understands the Reds are way ahead in the race to land the in demand full-back this summer.
Kerkez was signed by the Cherries in 2023 by current Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes.
He has gone on to make 69 appearances for Andoni Iraola’s side, scoring twice from left-back.
Those matches include starts in each of Bournemouth’s Premier League matches this season.
The defender has three years remaining on his deal at the Vitality Stadium.
Kerkez’s form has helped the Cherries mount a push to qualify for Europe for the first time in their history.
With five matches remaining this season, Bournemouth are eighth in the table and one point ahead of Fulham and Brighton.
The Cherries previously fended off interest in Kerkez in January, having been adamant they would not sell him mid-season.
His emergence this season was hailed by Iraola earlier in the campaign.
Following Bournemouth’s draw with Tottenham in March, the Spaniard said: “Milos has improved a lot from past season, and he has done a great job, I think defensively.
“I think he’s a player that because of his physical condition arrives so many times to the last third with the ball under control to put good crosses that the number of assists, of good balls he was having, was quite low past season, because he arrives a lot and he has this good offensive power. But this season I think he’s deciding much better.
“He’s adding quality to his deliveries. He’s more calm when he arrives and today was a lovely ball and I think he spends a lot of time crossing and at the end of training we have to fight with him to bring him inside!
“I think it’s good that at least it’s worth it and today he had a really good delivery.”
As for Liverpool, Robertson is set to enter the final year of his contract this summer.
The Scotland international will be 32 by the time it expires at the end of next season.
Since joining the Reds in 2017, he has made 339 appearances for the club and won eight trophies to date.
Should the move go through, Kerkez is joining the Premier League champions-elect.
Liverpool can win the title on Wednesday night if Arsenal lose at home to Crystal Palace, live on talkSPORT.
But failing that, the Reds can seal the title when they take on Tottenham at Anfield on Sunday afternoon.
