Arne Slot’s biggest selection mistake at Liverpool – and why it’s nothing to do with Salah

Robin Bairner

10 Dec 2025 13:43 GMT
4 min read

Arne Slot reacts to Liverpool's Champions League defeat to PSV — © IMAGO

Arne Slot’s decision to drop Mohamed Salah has captured headlines around the world, yet the Liverpool manager has made an obvious selection mistake with his side for much of this season.

Article continues under the video

Liverpool invested heavily in their squad over the summer, threatening to become the first side to break the €500 million spending barrier in a single transfer window before a deal for Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi fell through at the last.

The Reds’ signings have come under the microscope, but in particular the blockbuster deals to sign Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz, both of whom arrived for Premier League record fees.

But there is another new signing who is struggling to make a positive impact who is getting a good deal less press attention: Milos Kerkez.

Milos Kerkez: Slot’s pet project?

Slot, along with sporting director Richard Hughes, snapped up the Hungary international for €47 million (£40 million) from Bournemouth. It subsequently emerged that he would not just be the heir to Andy Robertson, but an immediate replacement for the Scotland international.

Unlike Wirtz and Isak, who have been more gently broken into the side, Slot has appeared hell bent on fielding Kerkez no matter his level.

Given that Robertson’s form tailed off last season, there was some merit in this, yet the cold, hard facts show that this term, Liverpool are far better with the former Hull City star in their ranks.

Current ETV

Milos Kerkez

D (L)

Liverpool

Milos Kerkez

D (L)

Liverpool

ETV Range

€61.9M - €75.6M

Why Robertson should be playing

The Anfield club have only won six of the 16 matches when Kerkez, a more naturally attacking option, has started at left-back, but have picked up six wins in nine when Robertson has played.

Further evidence of Liverpool’s better defensive balance with the Scot in their side arrived at San Siro on Tuesday, when Slot masterminded a 1-0 win over Inter Milan to help ease the pressure on himself.

In conceding just 0.5xGA in that game, Liverpool help the Nerazzurri to their joint-eighth lowest xG in their last 196 home games. Put into further perspective, only Arsenal have fared better since the return of crowds following the Covid-19 pandemic, per FBRef.

Liverpool restricted Inter to their joint-eighth lowest xG in their last 196 home games in the FBRef database. pic.twitter.com/f8N2hIrEtv
— Andrew Beasley (@BassTunedToRed) December 10, 2025

The other matches in which Robertson has started and Liverpool have won? They include Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid and Aston Villa. In other words, not only is he helping the Reds win games, but he is doing so against an elite standard of opponent.

In Jamie Carragher’s demolition of Salah, he cited the fact that Liverpool had conceded 10 goals in just three games and therefore needed a more defensive approach. Guess who played left-back for 70% of goals they conceded in this time. Hint: it wasn’t Roberton.

Salah might be dominating the headlines, and will surely continue to do so throughout December, but if Slot really wants to save his job, one of the answers is to dump the underperforming Kerkez and hand the reins back to the proven Robertson.

The FootballTransfers app

Check out FootballTransfers' new app for all of football's big storylines, transfer rumours and exclusive news in one convenient place directly on your mobile device.

The FootballTransfers app is available on Google Play and in the Apple App Store. Download here:

•Google Play

•App Store