Marko Grujic Deserves a Second Chance at Liverpool - Especially Given the Current Circumstances

Pub quiz question: who was Jurgen Klopp's first signing as Liverpool manager?

It was, of course, Marko Grujic.

The Serbia international has now technically been a Liverpool player for four years but there are many Reds fans who would be hard pressed to identify him if he turned up at their local (or on Zoom) for the weekly quiz.

The midfielder joined the Reds back in January 2016, signing for a little over £5m at the time, after Klopp beat out competition from several top clubs across the continent for the highly rated young engine room star dominating at Red Star Belgrade.

However, since Grujic signed terms at Anfield, he's made just 14 senior appearances for the Reds in over four years, failing to really make much of an impact outside of pre-season - he scored a neat looped header against Barcelona in the summer of 2016.

While Grujic been loaned out to Cardiff City and Hertha BSC to develop his talent, Liverpool have become a completely different club to the one the young midfielder joined.

The Reds have gone from top-four contenders to European and world champions and are on course to win a first Premier League title, having been completely and utterly revolutionised by Klopp.

It would be fairly easy to simply cast Grujic aside given all that has happened.

After all, Klopp's Reds have built a midfield that includes the likes of Jordan Henderson, Georginio Wijnaldum, Fabinho, Naby Keita and James Milner already. What space is there for a 24-year-old midfielder with next to no Premier League experience?

Well, perhaps because since Grujic has arrived in the Bundesliga with Hertha BSC, he's developed into a polished, well-rounded central midfielder who possesses all the physical attributes necessary to succeed in English football.

Initially joining Hertha in the summer of 2018, Grujic is now enjoying his second loan spell with the Berlin club. In that time, the Serb has made 45 appearances for the German outfit, providing a combined 11 goals and assists as a box-to-box midfielder.

The 6ft 3in powerhouse may occasionally look like a baby giraffe in roller-skates when he's in full flight, but his physique is deceptive. A dynamic runner, Grujic is capable of gliding past midfielders with his long strides and powerful dribbling, often helping Hertha break a high press and move forward up the pitch.

Team this with Grujic's 86% passing accuracy from open play in the league this season - a higher percentage than Henderson (84.5), Fabinho (85.4) and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (83.1) - and 255 duels won - more than Denis Zakaria (252) and as many as Dayot Upamecano in the Bundesliga - and it's clear to see why he's so highly thought of at Hertha.

In fact, Pal Dardai - who spent just over 20 years at Hertha as both a player and manager - labelled him as the best midfielder he had seen during his time at the club.

"I've been at Hertha for 22 years," Dardai said, as quoted by the Bundesliga website in 2019. "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.

"He's got so much potential, and you can see that out on the pitch. He's so robust in the middle of the park, but he can still play. He's good in the air, he wins tackles and has got such a strong desire to win. I can only say: 'respect'."

This summer promises to be a difficult one for all clubs in world football, with the transfer market set to be highly impacted by the coronavirus outbreak. Clubs will lose money, spend less cash and player values will plummet.

As was likely to be the case anyway, Liverpool won't be spending big in the transfer window, instead relying on cost-effective deals and nurturing the young and upcoming talent within their ranks. All this will (hopefully) give Grujic another chance at establishing himself at Anfield - although he's arguably not even had one proper shot to prove himself yet.

Add into the equation Liverpool's current midfield predicament and Grujic will be licking his lips at the prospect of donning the world champions' jersey next term.

Adam Lallana seems finally destined to leave Liverpool on a free transfer come the end of the season, although he has more often than not found himself in the treatment room alongside fellow midfield teammate Naby Keita.

Milner is now 34 and - believe it or not - will retire eventually, with injuries already having plagued his ageing body at times this season. The former Manchester City man is now probably seen as more of a makeshift left-back than an actual midfielder.

Meanwhile, Henderson and Fabinho have both spent time on the sidelines this campaign, often leaving Liverpool a little short of physicality and rigidity in midfield - something Grujic can provide in abundance.

There have also been occasions this season on which Fabinho has looked in need of a more natural replacement in the holding role.

All of the above signals that the time is right for Grujic to be gifted an opportunity for the Reds. The eight-cap Serbia international has paid his dues in the Bundesliga, putting in some sparkling performances along the way and accumulating a wealth of top-flight experience.

Simply put, he's worthy of playing a role for Liverpool next season, even if that means warming the bench more than he would like.

Given the current circumstances, if Grujic doesn't get an opportunity in Liverpool red next term, then he never will.

Source : 90min