If Andy Robertson is worried about the number of left-backs being linked with a potential move to Liverpool, he certainly isn’t showing it!
The Scotland captain turned 31 earlier this month and has been at Anfield for nearly eight years, continuing to fend off competition for a starting berth from Kostas Tsimikas for the most part.
It won’t have been lost on the Reds duo that the club are in the market for players in their position, having reportedly shown an interest in the likes of Milos Kerkez, Jorrel Hato and Lewis Hall, among others.
Robertson laughs off Liverpool transfer rumours
Speaking in a press conference ahead of his country’s UEFA Nations League play-off against Greece – in which he’ll line up against his positional colleague at Liverpool – Robertson laughed off the plethora of left-back speculation and insisted that he still has plenty to offer at Anfield.
The Scotland international wryly remarked (via BBC Sport): “I think we’ve been linked with pretty much every left-back in the world but, look, that’s part and parcel of it.
“You play for one of the biggest clubs in the world and you’ve been very lucky – well, I wouldn’t put it down to luck – but I look back on these eight years that I’ve had here as the starting left-back at one of the best clubs in the world for that long and that’s something I’m very proud of.
“Your time comes. I don’t think it’s my time yet but whatever happens with the club and whether we do bring in somebody or we don’t bring somebody in, then so be it. I think I’ll always back myself.”
Robertson’s experience still a vital asset for Liverpool
It’s been five years since Liverpool last purchased a left-back, and with no-one from the academy breaking through to genuinely challenge for that position in the meantime, perhaps Arne Slot feels that it’s a part of the squad which needs a bit of a refresh.
James Pearce wrote for The Athletic this week that strengthening in that role is ‘on the agenda’ at Anfield, hence the persistent links with Kerkez in particular. If the Hungarian (or a positional alternative) were to arrive, what might that mean for the Reds’s current senior options?
One school of thought which has been mentioned among Kopites on social media is for a new left-back to come in with the intention of becoming a starter, with Robertson gradually being phased into a less regular first-team feature but remaining a crucial presence within the dressing room, similar to James Milner previously.
The long-serving Scot has faced some strong criticism over a few of his performances this season, and his attacking output (just one assist) has declined sharply from previous years, but he has put in some improved displays in recent games and deserves far better than to be just chucked out the door in the summer.
With his contract expiring in June 2026, though, the Liverpool hierarchy will soon have a big decision to make on the Reds’ number 26, who firmly believes that his time at Anfield isn’t up just yet.
