As Liverpool knocked hard on the Arsenal door to find an equaliser that would frustratingly never arrive this Sunday, the ball seemingly kept finding its way to one man.

It had to be by design that Liverpool continued to get Milos Kerkez into good crossing positions wide on the left, because after good combinations by those in red, the Hungarian inevitably appeared with time and space to put a ball into the box.

Kerkez attempted eight crosses during the match, with only three of them finding a Liverpool player. Even the ones that did – Mac Allister aside – were low-quality efforts which ended the momentum of the Reds’ fast breakaways.

The former Bournemouth man is always a willing runner and despite his lack of success he pushed and tried to make something happen for Liverpool. But, just as it has been since his arrival in 2025, the quality in the final delivery was badly lacking. After more than one year of trying, the defeat against Arsenal made it fairly clear that if they want to upgrade their starting XI, Liverpool have to start with the left-back.

Liverpool need better at left-back

Liverpool’s left-back issue has actually dated all the way back to the 2023/24 season, when Joe Gomez was forced to spend most of the campaign out of position at full-back.

Andy Robertson rallied back as Liverpool won the Premier League the following year, but the Scotsman was clearly on the decline as well, and though Kerkez was supposed to be a like-for-like return to Robertson’s best days with the Reds, he has not shown that so far.

In fact, ever since he returned from his loan spell at Roma, Kostas Tsimikas has arguably been better than Kerkez, with the Greek’s dead-ball delivery especially impressive. However, Tsimikas has his limitations as well, and with Iraola chopping and changing between them both, he also seems unconvinced by his options.

It has become a running joke for Liverpool fans online that when Kerkez plays they miss Tsimikas and when Tsimikas plays they miss Kerkez, with both players looking like a weak link in the team whenever they do play.

There are plenty of ways in which Iraola can improve Liverpool, with many of them structural. But if he wants a quick and easy way to ensure his team make a step up, finding a better left-back has to be at the top of the list. The Reds are set up to find whoever is playing in the position, and Kerkez is letting the side down time and time again.

Who could Liverpool buy?

Having spent £40m on Kerkez little over one year ago, Liverpool may be reluctant to go big on signing somebody else in 2027.

However, Tsimikas is out of contract at the end of the campaign and will almost certainly leave. As a result, Liverpool know that they absolutely will have to do something at left-back.

Instead of signing a player to come in as a back-up, they should be looking at someone who can start over Kerkez, pushing the Hungary international into a rotational or back-up role.

The Reds did this brilliantly when buying Robertson in 2017, and his arrival from Hull showed that a top left-back does not have to cost the world. Obviously, the market has changed since then, but this is how Liverpool should approach their new plan 10 years on.

If they do decide to go big, then it could be worth testing Newcastle’s resolve on Lewis Hall, who is arguably the Premier League’s outstanding left-back. But the 22-year-old would cost a huge amount of money, and it could become farcical if the Reds have two left-backs in the £40m+ bracket.

It obviously is a tough ask to find a cheap player who could push Kerkez out, but Liverpool should take a look at Racing Santander’s Jorge Salinas or perhaps Alex Valle at Como. Both are young and look like they could play for one of Europe’s top teams in the future. Strasbourg’s Oso is another who should be on the radar.

Whether a January deal happens will likely depend on injuries to either Kerkez or Tsimikas, or whether their form declines to such an extent that Liverpool feel they have no choice but to move.

Watching the clash against Arsenal on Sunday, some fans would be within their rights to argue that the latter has already happened. Had they had some better deliveries through that dominant first-half period, they almost certainly would have come away with a result. The ice is getting thin for Kerkez, and Liverpool cannot wait forever for him to come good.