Hungarian reporters and supporters claim Liverpool’s £40m recruit was the poorest performer on the field.

Liverpool fans will have noticed a surprising development from Hungary’s recent World Cup qualifier, where one of our summer signings faced sharp criticism back home.

Milos Kerkez received the lowest rating from Hungarian supporters. According to Nemzeti Sport, Liverpool’s left-back was rated the worst player in Hungary’s 3-2 loss to Portugal in Budapest.

Out of 7,830 votes, the 21-year-old averaged just 4.51 out of 10 — the lowest among Hungarian players.

The report described Kerkez as “annoyingly easy to tackle,” especially highlighting the moment Joao Cancelo dispossessed him leading up to Portugal’s third goal.

However, Dominik Szoboszlai seemed to disagree with the harsh judgment, as he was visibly upset after the goal, which came right after Kerkez was tackled following Szoboszlai’s pass.

While Kerkez won several duels during the match, the outlet noted, “we know he is capable of much more.”

For context, forward Barnabas Varga was rated highest with 8.45, goalkeeper Balazs Toth got 7.54, and Willi Orban earned 6.54. Szoboszlai, Hungary’s captain, scored 5.43 and was ranked eighth overall.

Szoboszlai received praise for his intensity and control but was faulted for a “huge mistake” when his pass to Kerkez was misplaced.

Hungarian journalists also questioned Kerkez’s performance. Nemzeti Sport’s reporters gave him a modest score of 5, pointing out his difficulty tracking Bernardo Silva before Portugal’s first goal and criticizing some risky decisions in dangerous areas.

Though still early in his Anfield career, the former Bournemouth player has already faced criticism for his defending in a Liverpool shirt.

That said, the Hungarian media acknowledged his strength in defensive duels during the match and suggested he has the ability to bounce back quickly.

Signed from Bournemouth for £40m, Kerkez is expected to bring energy and balance to Liverpool’s left side. But with fixtures piling up, Andy Robertson will be eager to reclaim his starting spot.

With the Premier League underway, the ex-Cherries defender will be keen to prove his value at Anfield.

As Nemzeti Sport concluded, Hungary’s No. 3 “is capable of much more” — and now it’s up to Kerkez to show that both for club and country.