Could you have imagined a scenario a decade ago that would see Bournemouth pushing for Champions League qualification and Manchester United lingering 13th in the Premier League table?

No, me neither. But with the 2024/25 Premier League campaign having now passed the halfway mark, that is exactly what is happening.

A little over 24 hours before United were beaten 3-1 by Brighton & Hove Albion at Old Trafford last weekend, Bournemouth ended Newcastle United's nine-game winning run with a statement 4-1 victory at St James' Park, inspired by a Justin Kluivert hat-trick.

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After the Dutchman had planted his flag in the turf his father used to don the famous black and white stripes on, Kluivert was joined on the scoresheet by Milos Kerkez, who netted Bournemouth's fourth and final goal of the afternoon in the sixth minute of injury time.

With Newcastle having committed bodies forward in the faint hope of staging a dramatic comeback, huge spaces opened up and Kerkez took full advantage, venturing into the left channel of the penalty area and crashing an emphatic effort past former United goalkeeper Martin Dubravka. It marked his second Premier League goal of the season and his fifth direct goal contribution in total.

The United transfer target has been nothing short of excellent for the Cherries so far this season, playing a starring role in an unimaginable pursuit of a place in Europe's premier club competition for next season. He has proven to be yet another excellent find within Bournemouth's shrewd recruitment model.

Signed from Dutch side AZ Alkmaar in July 2023, Kerkez was an unknown quantity to almost every Bournemouth supporter and those who religiously watch the Premier League. Less than two years on, he is one of the very best left-backs in the division, living up to the expectations of former Cherries chief executive Neill Blake.

"An athletic and attacking full-back, Milos will be an excellent addition to our exciting squad," he said. "Milos [is] a talented young player with a great deal of potential."

Turning 21 as recently as November, the Hungarian is already surpassing expectations. He has been linked with a flurry of big-name clubs, both domestically and overseas, and United are among them.

Following the club's transition to a 3-4-2-1 formation under head coach Ruben Amorim, there has never been such an focus on the full-backs/wing-back department at Old Trafford. The wing-backs are essential to making Amorim's blueprint work and Gary Neville said just after Christmas that United would need to sign 'two quite unique players' to fill the wing-back berths.

Noussair Mazraoui, as dependable as he has been since his arrival from Bayern Munich last summer, is not a natural wing-back, likewise Diogo Dalot, who has spent much of the season playing out of position on the left. United need strong athletes to operate at wing-back positions to give the team the width and running power Amorim craves.

Kerkez is renowned for his lung-bursting runs and freakish energy levels. He bombs up and down Bournemouth's left side almost as though he has been fitted with a battery that never runs out.

"Maybe people see how much I go forward and they forget about my defending but the first thing I'm good at is defending, one v one, in the duels," Kerkez told The Guardian in an interview last month. "Anything extra is a bonus, because I have the energy to do it, so why not? It is the best thing for us as defenders, to lock down the wingers."

Kerkez has primarily played as a left-back throughout his career thus far, but his attacking profile and extraordinary energy levels mean that he should be able to adapt to the demands of a wing-back in Amorim's system. A plethora of United fans have long since identified him as their ideal player to become United's starting left wing-back having been impressed by what they have seen of him this season.

The 21-year-old Hungarian international, who started each of his country's three games at last summer's European Championship as a wing-back, is currently on a trajectory that suggests bigger and better things are still to come for him in years to come. For him, climbing to the very top is the ultimate ambition, as well as building a lake that he can use for fishing in his spare time.

"I believe I can make it at the top level of football… then I can build an even bigger lake," he admitted, outlining his hopes for the future.

Starting each of Bournemouth's opening 22 league matches this season, the Hungarian is on course to enjoy a fruitful and lucrative career. United's need for a new left-back has become somewhat urgent amid Luke Shaw's injury problems and the prospect of Tyrell Malacia being sold this year, and Kerkez is a very attractive option.

His running power makes him an ideal fit for the left wing-back berth at Old Trafford and his ambition to reach the highest possible level matches that of Amorim's, with the Portuguese chief, despite acknowledging the size of the task ahead, determined to restore United to their former glories.

To enable him to do that, he will need to oversee a squad rebuild that is in tune with his vision. Signing Kerkez would be a good starting point, particularly when the left wing-back role is in such desperate need of attention.

United were once able to hand-pick the Premier League's best with no questions asked. However, they were often top dog at that juncture. Now, though, Bournemouth are looking down on United.