Liverpool midfielder Marko Grujic is desperate to succeed on Merseyside, but will have to wait as he’d been loaned back to Hertha Berlin for another season.
The Serbian international has set himself a target – play his heart out for another season in the Bundesliga, and force his way into Jurgen Klopp’s plans for next year.
Grujic has bags of talent. Hertha coach Pal Dardai told the German league’s official website: “This isn’t meant as an insult to anyone else, but Marko is by far the best midfielder I’ve seen in my time at the club.
“I was a defensive midfielder and managed to score 17 goals, which isn’t bad but Marko carries much more of a goal threat, he’s got a sensational shot on him and is much better than I was.”
The midfielder made just five appearances in his first season with Liverpool, and has since been loaned out each season in search of first team football – to Cardiff City and then Hertha.
It’s in the Bundesliga where Grujic has really started to find his feet though, and another year of the progress and he’s sure to give Klopp something to think about.
“I was in Liverpool for a few days after last season, did some medical tests,” he told Sport Bild – via Goal. “We [Klopp and I] sat together and talked about my plans.
“My contract at Liverpool runs until 2023. We both saw it in a similar way: I only managed to make the most of 50 per cent of my opportunities in Berlin. Minor injuries knocked me back.
“He also found that it is better for my development to stay in the Bundesliga for another year. When I see such games [the Champions League final], I always realise that I belong to such a big club and it’s where I want to be.
“If I play 34 very good games for Hertha, the chance to be a true Liverpool player next year is great.”
It’s good to hear that Grujic and Klopp see eye-to-eye on his development – it’s a great sign for the future as midfielders James Milner and Adam Lallana are over the age of 30, and will need successors soon.