Liverpool’s incoming transfers this summer may have taken a halt but Jürgen Klopp is now busy trying to find new clubs for players who will play no role this season.
One such player, who has now been sent out on loan to the Bundesliga, is Serbian international Marko Grujic. The 22-year old joined the Premier League outfit in 2016 and had just a year left on his deal but he has now signed a contract extension till 2023, before leaving for Hertha Berlin, in search of regular game time, the club have announced.
Getting Used To England
A tenacious midfielder who was Klopp’s first permanent signing at Anfield, Grujic is yet to make a single start for Liverpool but was impressive in most of the pre-season games and the substitute appearances Klopp could afford to give him. He made a name for himself in the Serbian top flight but the Liverpool manager does not seem to think he is ready to be a first-team starter for the Reds.
He got just 19 minutes of action last season last season, before which he was shipped off to the Championship with Cardiff City in January, as he was desperate to make an impact in a new country. Neil Warnock used him to good effect and Grujic was truly instrumental in the Blue Birds gaining promotion to the top flight last season, also turning into a fan-favourite.
However, Cardiff were not able to land him on another loan deal and Klopp was not ready to lose him, as is evident from the contract the midfielder has signed. Up to six different clubs from all over Europe were linked with him in the summer but it is understood that Klopp was influential in Grujic moving to Berlin.
He was a good fit in Warnock’s system at Cardiff City Stadium but more importantly, his loan spell gave him a lot of exposure to the physically demanding league, something he was not afforded at Liverpool.
The Next Step
Now that Grujic has shown that he can withstand the challenges of the English game, it is crucial for him to develop into a player that Klopp can trust in his first team. He does have the traits to be a hit under the German manager but the arrival of Fabinho and Naby Keita only dropped him further down the pecking order.
It did not look like he would play a major role at Anfield this season either and a loan move away from the club was always on the cards. But the fact that he has committed his long-term future with the club shows that he is ready to fight for his place in one of the most exciting squads in Europe, in the near future.
Pál Dárdai’s squad could do with the resolve of a player like Grujic at the heart of their midfield and the Serbian can only learn from this stint and like most Liverpool fans, Klopp will hope that he will return a player, ready for first-team action.
