Borussia Dortmund show interest in AZ Alkmaar’s Milos Kerkez

Borussia Dortmund have been linked with AZ Alkmaar’s young Hungarian left back Milos Kerkez, per Sky Sports.

Borussia Dortmund’s search for defensive reinforcements has taken another turn as the club has allegedly been monitoring Milos Kerkez of AZ Alkmaar. Kerkez previously plied his trade for AC Milan’s under-19 side. With the prospects of first team football back in Italy dwindling, Kerkez made the move to the Dutch Eredivisie in January of 2022. Since then, Kerkez has shone for the Dutch side, which currently sit 4th in the league.

Over the course of the last year, Kerkez has worked hard to showcase what Milan lost in letting him go to The Netherlands, and his efforts have certainly caught the eye of quite a few admirers. When compared to players who play in a similar position across Europe, Kerkez excels in his role as a left back. He finds himself in the 97th percentile for non penalty goals, the 86th percentile in terms of shots per 90 as well as assists, and also records an impressive amount of progressive passes per 90 (4.13).

In tandem with his offensive contributions, Kerkez showcases relatively strong defensive tendencies for a player who is so offensively-oriented. Kerkez contributes 1.36 interceptions, 1.24 blocks, and 2.24 clearances per 90. Compared to Dortmund’s current first choice left back Raphaël  Guerreiro, Kerkez’s defensive contributions, except for perhaps his numbers regarding interceptions, are numerically higher than Rapha’s. The main criticism with Dortmund’s current starter in this position has always been his lackadaisical defending. Kerkez, at least statistically, seems to bring the best of both worlds to the table.

Of course, numbers alone are often not the only factor one can use to paint a proper picture of a possible transfer target. Taking a look at Kerkez’s general play-style, the Hungarian left back is a capable dribbler with pace to burn, often able to make marauding runs forward to assist in the attack, which is one of the main things expected of a modern full back. The player also has a physical side to his game, showing a level of defensive conviction that is impressive for a player so young.

While Dortmund have already been heavily linked with a move for Borussia Mönchengladbach’s Ramy Bensebaini, a move for Kerkez would still be a smart move for BVB to consider. Just like any top team however, Dortmund will need options in terms of depth that promote competition in the side. Signing Kerkez would be a good addition to compliment the acquisition for Bensebaini so that both players could push each other to achieve a higher level in terms of their performances and output.

What’s more, Bensebaini seems set to come in as a free agent, which allows for at least some additional leniency in terms of spending. If Dortmund can also manage to alleviate the burden of wages by moving on some of the club’s top earners that are not playing a prominent role for the club, the facilitation of a move for Kerkez could become all that much easier. A potential move for Kerkez would be a welcome bit of business that would go a long way towards improving Dortmund’s current defensive options in a position that is in dire need of a revamp.