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Liverpool left-back Andy Robertson has been heavily linked with a move to Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur. However, there's a twist in the tail of late due to a Liverpool player out on loan.

Since Arne Slot and co signed Milos Kerkez on a long-term contract, Robertson's future at the clubseemed even more finite. A servant since 2017, Robertson has been an integral cog in the Anfield machine and has enjoyed huge success in that time.

However, at 31 it seems that it's time for a new challenge. Last week, reports emerged that Robertson was destined for a switch to Spurs but there's a stumbling block.

Naturally, when selling a player as impactful and important as Robertson - never mind the reduced game time this season - it is vital for the club to acquire a reasonable replacement. Of course, Liverpool already have one in Kostas Tsimikas, the best friend of Mohamed Salah, who is out on loan at Roma. In an ideal world it would be the simple task of re-calling the Greek star and getting him to fill Robertson's boots.

However, as The Athletic have revealed, Roma are only happy for Tsimikas to return to Liverpool but only if they can get a suitable replacement.

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So effectively, Tsimikas is at the centre point of three moves. Deal one - Roma sign a left-back replacement. Deal two - Tsimikas' loan is terminated and he returns to Liverpool. Deal three - Robertson signs for Spurs. Simple, right?

Well, the Italian side are in no hurry to find a replacement and will make sure they get a good quality player in, so the Robertson deal is hinging on Roma finding a new left-back in the next few days, which seems highly unlikely at the current stage.

Robertson wants more game time before the World Cup but despite this, he is not pushing for the move. The Scottish international still plays fairly regularly for Liverpool but the starting spot goes to Kerkez right now, with Robertson starting only four league games this season.

After the loss to Bournemouth, Reds captain Virgil van Dijk revealed that he wants Robertson to stay. "He's my vice-captain," said Van Dijk. "Robbo is a very important member of our team and I want him to stay but whatever happens, let's see."

At the time of writing, it is expected that Tsimikas will stay at Roma until the end of the season, when his loan expires. This means that Robertson will likely be staying put at Anfield for now.

There was hope for Spurs fans when Roma bid for Wolves left-back David Møller Wolfe but the Premier League club rejected it. Their £6.9m effort was branded as "derisory" according to Sky Sports.

As well as being a solid back-up left-back, Tsimikas is well known at Liverpool for his friendship with Salah. The Greek defender signed for the Reds in 2020 and fast formed a close relationship with the Egyptian King, speaking about their connection in 2021.

"He is one of my best mates here," said Tsimikas. "He was there for me to help me. He's a very big person, fantastic. One of the best people I have ever met in my life. We spend a lot of time at the training ground together."