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Premier League giants Liverpool have just secured the signing of Serbian midfielder Marko Grujic, arguably one of the hottest prospects in Eastern Europe at the moment.
Red Star Belgrade chairman Zvezdan Terzic moved to confirm the deal, revealing that the Reds would pay €7 million for the transfer.
Grujic, who will be loaned back to Red Star until the end of season, is set to sign a five-year deal worth €1.2 million per campaign.
For those of you wanting to know more about Liverpool’s first signing of the January transfer window, we have some inside information on the 19-year-old.
Touted the ‘next Steven Gerrard’
As soon as it became clear that Liverpool were after his signature (Klopp even made a personal phone call), the inevitable comparisons with the Reds legend Steven Gerarrd began. These are definitely not unfounded as Grujic is definitely not your average central midfielder, but rather a cultured playmaker who is incredible effective in the final third.
And while you will not see him making flying tackles and reckless challenges like the former England star, Grujic doesn’t shirk his defensive duties either, while his aerial presence makes him an asset in all stages of the game.
The boy’s got swagger
It’s been a while since Serbia last had a footballer playing with so much confidence, and while the Serbian league is hardly to match with any of the top competitions, it is important to note that Grujic took to senior football like duck to water, given that he is now in his first full season in the Red Star team.
Together with Tottenham star Moussa Dembele, Grujic is probably one of just a handful of central midfielders who is more than willing to take opponents on, produce nutmegs on almost regular basis and the best thing here is that he rarely makes mistakes that would result in counter-attacks.
Flourished under ‘The Count’ and alongside Ajax graduate
It was Red Star coach Miodrag Bozovic, nicknamed ‘The Count’ that gave Grujic a chance to shine at the time when the former European Cup champions suffered a disappointing elimination from Europe, and the talented footballer seized the opportunity with both hands, scoring 5 goals and producing 7 assists to help his side create a 25-point cushion at the top of the standings.
But, it was Ajax graduate Mitchell Donald who has done an incredible amount of defensive work to allow Grujic to strutt his stuff in the final third, so as long as Liverpool can find a quality holding midfielder to play alongside the Red Star starlet, Grujic will stand a chance of being mentioned in the same breath with Steven Gerarrd.
Grujic is a World Cup winner
The highly rated footballer was part of the Serbia team that clinched the Under-20 World Cup title in New Zealand last summer, defeating the likes of Brazil in the final. Grujic didn’t play such a big part in the success, starting one game and making another four substitute appearances, as he was not even close to playing on regular basis for Serbia’s most decorated club.
He has since started five matches for the country’s Under-21 side and it is only a matter of time before he earns a senior call-up as well. Many believe that he can form a great midfield partnership with Chelsea star Nemanja Matic, another player he has been likened to, in years to come.
One cannot put a price on loyalty
From the moment he started impressing in the Red Star first team, Europe’s top clubs started casting admiring glances his way, with domestic media as well as English and Italian media outlets constantly publishing stories on the reported interest from Liverpool and Inter, among other clubs.
And while other 19-year-old’s would struggle to cope with an increased pressure, Grujic had no such problems, keeping his performances at a very high level, while insisting that he wanted to help his side qualify for the Champions League before making the next step, and it was the player’s desire to pay back the club where he was formed that was the main reason why Liverpool agreed to immediately loan him back.
If it hand’t been for the club’s huge debt and the danger of not being granted a UEFA licence, Grujic would be quite happy to remain for another couple of years, but he can take some comfort in knowing that the money from his sale will keep the club afloat and allow them to keep hold of one of the best teams in Red Star’s recent history that have won 19 league games in a row this term, obviously with a big help from Liverpool’s January recruit.
