Milos Kerkez is one of the most exciting young talents in world football, having arrived at Vitality Stadium from AZ Alkmaar.
Born in Serbia, Kerkez was part of local academy OFK Vrbas before joining Austrian side Rapid Wien, 500 kilometres away from home.
The defender moved to his third country as a youngster, playing for Győr in Hungary, establishing his international roots.
He got his first taste of senior football, playing 18 times in Hungarian’s second tier aged just 17.
A personal phone call from Paolo Maldini encouraged Kerkez to move to Italian giants AC Milan in 2021.
The left-back didn’t make a senior appearance in his season in Milan, but trained regularly with the first team, working closely with France international Theo Hernández.
In January 2022, Kerkez made the move to the Netherlands to sign for AZ Alkmaar. He largely featured for Jong AZ upon his arrival but broke into the first team during the UEFA Europa Conference League play-off campaign, playing four times.
The teenager became a regular member of the team for the 2022/23 season, playing 52 times in all competitions.
He scored five goals and added seven assists, a total of 12 goal contributions, in his first full season of action.
AZ earned a fourth placed finish and reached the semi-final of the UEFA Europa Conference League, Kerkez playing a key role.
His importance was signified as he was listed in CIES Football Observatory’s top ten players under the age of 20, alongside the likes of Gavi and Jude Bellingham.
In June 2023, Kerkez was nominated for the prestigious 2023 Golden Boy award, which highlights the best under-21 player in Europe.
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