Liverpool could return to old Andy Robertson succession plan for next signing

Could Adrien Truffert replace Kostas Tsimikas?

Liverpool transfer target Adrien Truffert dribbles and holds of Italy star Michael Kayode. — (Photo by Pauline Figuet/Getty Images)

We tend to be a little hesitant around Fichajes reports, but from a purely scouting perspective, we can see why Truffert might hypothetically appeal to Liverpool’s recruitment team. Especially in light of prior reporting that indicated he’d been considered as an Andy Robertson replacement.

It’s fair to say, for starters, that the Bournemouth fullback would be a notable improvement on current backup Kostas Tsimikas, who’s barely seen daylight under Andoni Iraola this term.

The question worth asking, however, is whether the Frenchman’s profile complements this Liverpool squad.

Truffert and Kerkez want to operate high up the pitch

While the pair differ in how they get up the pitch, both Adrien Truffert and Milos Kerkez want to be impacting the game in the final third.

In the former’s case, his natural inclination is to carry the ball up the pitch, whereas our Hungarian left-back would rather use his raw pace to get into the opposition half.

Beyond that, however, there are probably more similarities than clear differences in the pair’s style of play, if we compare numbers from Kerkez’s final campaign on the south coast with his replacement’s performances in 2025/26.

Milos Kerkez’s stats (per 90) in 2024/25	Adrien Truffert’s stats (per 90) in 2025/26
29.25 successful passes	34.67 successful passes
80.4% pass success rate	83.5% pass success rate
29.5% accurate long balls rate	31.7% accurate long balls
27.5% successful crosses rate	23.8% successful crosses rate
0.59 dribbles	0.88 dribbles
56.4% dribble success rate	45.2% dribble success rate
53.5% duel success rate	53.1% duel success rate
5.58 defensive contributions	8.09 defensive contributions

* Milos Kerkez’s and Adrien Truffert’s stats in the Premier League (FotMob)

The alleged Liverpool transfer target is, perhaps, less of a risk-taker when it comes to his passing and more involved in the defensive side of the game – which appears supported by the available heatmap data.

Milos Kerkez and Adrien Truffert's heatmap data. — (Milos Kerkez’s (left) and Adrien Truffert’s (right) heatmap data, via FotMob)

Do Liverpool need a more distinctly different profile?

Ronald Araujo looks on during Liverpool game. — (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

We’ve seen the benefit of having a radically different profile at right-back in loan signing Ronald Araujo to help balance things on the pitch.

To be completely honest, while we think Truffert’s a more than decent footballer, we’re not completely convinced that he offers something distinct enough to justify his arrival at L4 – unless Liverpool are serious about replacing Kerkez, which we doubt.

We’d much rather see another sitter signed, perhaps in the form of a left-back/centre-back hybrid, and ideally someone who can impact our progression on the ball with elite passing and vision.

But having had Trent Alexander-Arnold at the club, we all know just how rare it is to find a footballer that offers this specific skillset at fullback.