AFC Bournemouth have completed the signing of highly-rated and sought-after teenage left-back Milos Kerkez.
The 19-year-old Hungary international joins the Cherries for an undisclosed fee from AZ Alkmaar after agreeing terms on a long-term contract.
Kerkez becomes the club’s third summer signing, following Justin Kluivert from AS Roma and Romain Faivre from Lyon.
One of the most coveted full-backs in Europe, Kerkez chose to move to the Premier League despite reported interest from clubs involved in the Champions League this season.
AFC Bournemouth chief executive Neill Blake said: “We are delighted to announce the signing of Milos, a talented young player with a great deal of potential.
“He was being tracked by a number of clubs in Europe but was very keen to join us after hearing about our plans and ambitions for the future.
“An athletic and attacking full-back, Milos will be an excellent addition to our exciting squad and we are looking forward to working with him.”
Born and raised in Serbia, Kerkez established his international roots during a spell playing for ETO FC Győr in Hungary’s second tier.
He joined Italian giants AC Milan’s Primavera youth side in 2021 having been sounded out by the club’s technical director Paolo Maldini.
Kerkez then joined AZ Alkmaar in January 2022 and made 52 appearances in all competitions last season, registering five goals and seven assists as they reached the semi-finals of the Europa Conference League.
He won his first senior cap for Hungary when he was 18, debuting in a 1-0 win against Germany in the Nations League in September 2022 and has started their past three Euro qualifiers against Bulgaria, Montenegro and Lithuania.
