Milos Kerkez flies in to complete Liverpool transfer and hand Arne Slot two new problems

Milos Kerkez will soon complete the formalities of his move to Liverpool - but the Premier League champions are about to run into a couple of issues during their summer spending spree.

Hungary international Kerkez is expected to be announced as the Reds' third new face of the summer on Tuesday having flown in from a break in Belgrade.

The 21-year-old left-back, who was born in Serbia, will move from Bournemouth for around £40million, taking the Reds' spending in the close season to just under £200m following the arrivals of Jeremie Frimpong and Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen.

Goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili will also link up with Arne Slot's side a year after his £29m move from Valencia was agreed, pushing this summer's outlay up even further.

READ MORE: Transfer news LIVE: Liverpool deal agreed, Arsenal face Sesko U-turn, Man Utd Sancho blow

READ MORE: Liverpool get boost in Marc Guehi transfer chase with Crystal Palace talks imminent

Even more new signings are expected as Slot puts his imprint on the squad having only added rarely-seen winger Federico Chiesa last summer, with a new centre-back and a new forward on the wish list.

But with the arrival of Kerkez attention will shift to Liverpool's outgoings, with more players expected to leave following the exits of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Caoimhin Kelleher.

Jarell Quansah is next in line in the departure lounge, with the centre-back joining Bayer Leverkusen for around £35m after his involvement with England at the European Under-21 Championships.

But the sale of Quansah, plus those of Alexander-Arnold and Kelleher, have given Liverpool an issue when it comes to the non-homegrown player quota in their squad, an problem which has been added to by their summer arrivals.

Under Premier League rules, squads can only carry a maximum of 17 non-homegrown players in their squad of 25 players (over the age of 21) for the season, with a homegrown player categorised as someone of any nationality who has been registered with any club affiliated to the English FA for a period, continuous or not, of three entire seasons, or 36 months, before his 21st birthday.

Thanks to his time on the books of Manchester City's academy, new arrival Frimpong counts as a homegrown player despite playing for Netherlands, but Wirtz, Mamardashvili and now Kerkez do not.

Indeed, Kerkez will become the 18th non-homegrown member of Liverpool's squad, forcing the Reds to omit one of the other 17 in order to register him.

That is an issue which is likely to resolve itself of course, with Chiesa and Darwin Nunez both strongly linked with moves away from the club, and further speculation surrounding the likes of Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota and Ibrahima Konate.

In addition, two more non-homegrown players are at the centre of Liverpool's second dilemma posed by the arrival of Kerkez, who will expect to become the Reds' first-choice left-back upon signing.

Andy Robertson and Kostas Tsimikas have both been linked with moves away this summer, with Scotland captain Robertson being eyed by Atletico Madrid as he enters the final year of his Reds contract, and Greece's Tsimikas linked with newly-promoted Leeds United among others.

Liverpool must decide whether they want to keep hold of Robertson - a highly-respected voice in the squad and a member of the Reds' leadership group - for one more year to aid in Kerkez's transition, or lose him and retain Tsimikas as dependable but limited backup to the Hungarian.

One is almost certain to leave, alleviating pressure on the non-homegrown quota in the process.

Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.