Not just Frimpong & Kerkez: £50k-per-week Liverpool man is on borrowed time

It’s certainly not been a perfect start to the campaign for Liverpool by any stretch, but what can’t be argued with is the spirit shown under this new Andoni Iraola regime.

It all fell a little flat in 2025/26 under Arne Slot, although the Reds have repeatedly come from behind to get a result this season, collecting draws against both Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest, while bettering Atletico Madrid last time out.

That latest win over Diego Simeone’s men was all about passion and heart, turning things around after a shaky start to proceedings at Anfield.

Brighter days lie ahead, it seems, but first things first, Iraola needs to decide what to do with his struggling stars, including Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez.

Why Frimpong and Kerkez remain Liverpool’s big issue

You sometimes don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone, and that’s certainly the case with regard to Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold on Merseyside.

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Of course, in their pomp, the flying pair were undoubtedly appreciated by the Anfield faithful, recognised as arguably the best full-back duo anywhere, be that in the Premier League or in Europe.

The scale of their achievements and quality has been brought into even sharper focus by the struggle to replace them, however, with Kerkez and Frimpong enduring a dismal first 12 months at the club.

In Kerkez’s case, you can’t fault his endeavour, but the Hungarian has been found wanting too often, not least in Wednesday’s win over Atleti, as he failed to track eventual goalscorer Marcos Llorente.

With the previously exiled Kostas Tsimikas the only senior option in reserve, it’s not looking pretty for the health of Iraola’s left-back berth, while on the opposite side, the Spaniard has had to turn to Ronaldo Araujo due to Frimpong’s longstanding woes.

In the Dutchman’s defence, his best work at Bayer Leverkusen came as a wing-back, with the shift to a more orthodox full-back role not playing to his strengths.

That said, it’s not as if the 25-year-old is thriving anyway going forward, with that man Araujo already racking up as many assists in a Liverpool shirt in 33 fewer games, following the midweek win.

That says it all, in truth, with both Frimpong and Kerkez perhaps among those already on borrowed time under this new regime.

Why £50k-per-week Liverpool man already looks done at Anfield

As the departures of Alexander-Arnold and Robertson have showcased, Jurgen Klopp’s fabled side has been swiftly disassembled in recent years, with Virgil van Dijk and Alisson only really left to hold the fort.

Reuters/Paul Childs

The shake-up largely began back in 2023, with a string of experienced figures all leaving in one fell swoop, most notably in the midfield department.

That summer saw James Milner, Jordan Henderson, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Naby Keita and Fabinho all depart, those high-profile names replaced by a quartet of new arrivals.

Among those to join, amid that squad overhaul, was Wataru Endo, the Japanese midfielder signing from Stuttgart for a fee of around £17m.

He didn’t exactly break the bank, it must be said, yet even then it’s hard to say that FSG have had a return on their investment, with Endo drifting further and further down the pecking order.

Right from the off, the defensive-minded operator has barely been given a look-in, be it under Klopp, Slot or now Iraola, having remarkably started just one league game in each of the last two Premier League campaigns.

That is particularly damning considering the Reds aren’t necessarily blessed with depth in the centre of the park or in that specific number six role, with Endo not truly seen properly since starting 20 league games back in 2023/24. Injury has been a factor, undoubtedly, but that can’t excuse everything.

An unused substitute in each of the first three top-flight outings of this season, the £50k-per-week man looks to be heading for an inevitable exit in the near future, with his current deal set to expire next summer.

A cult figure he may be, Endo has almost become something of a spare part on Merseyside, having seen one potential route to game time blocked by his omission from Iraola’s Champions League squad.

It’s difficult to see where else he is likely to feature, excluding domestic cup action, with young Trey Nyoni clearly a preferred option right now, in support of Ryan Gravenberch, Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister.

Not an ideal situation then for the veteran asset, with it fair to say that his time at Anfield is all-but over, if it hasn’t already been for a fair while.

If they’re not careful, Kerkez and Frimpong could be heading for a similar fate before too long.