Klopp's first Liverpool signing reaches transfer crossroads after Anfield exit
Marko Grujic is an example that there’s life after Liverpool for starlets who don’t shine bright enough to become mainstays at Anfield.
The Serbian midfielder is not the first player to fail to make the grade on the red half of Merseyside and then make a successful career elsewhere. But some could have taken the blow of not living up to the expectations and struggled. He took it on and became an important member of the Porto team.
Now he is facing another challenge in his career after falling out of favour in Portugal. It’s unlikely he will face one of the Reds’ rivals in their Champions League quest when Arsenal take on the Portuguese side in the last 16 tie.
But he’s shown in the past he can find a new pathway if needed. Stuttgart are the latest club interested in him. It was two-and-a-half years ago when Grujic returned to Liverpool thinking he could have one last crack at making it there.
Grujic, now 27, had been Jurgen Klopp’s first signing at the club and
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given his relatively little experience but the Reds had beaten some big guns to his signature. It wouldn’t quite work out the way many expected. Then in the summer of 2021, after a sieason-long loan spell in Portugal with Porto, he was back ready for pre-season at the Reds.
Gini Wijnaldum had just left and there was a feeling there could be a space in Klopp’s midfield. Grujic fancied his chances but within weeks he was sold to Porto.
Liverpool had tried loan spells, they had watched in the hope he could develop but they never felt he could quite cut it on a regular basis in the Premier League. In truth, he didn’t fit Klopp’s way of playing but there was other competition and players who the Liverpool boss felt were more suited to his style
Marko Grujic signed for Liverpool in January 2016 (Getty Images)Was Marko Grujic unfairly treated at Liverpool? Share your thoughts in the comments below
Liverpool signed Thiago Alcantara the previous year and then there was the emergence of Curtis Jones while Harvey Elliott had also returned from a loan spell at Blackburn ready to break into the first team. Jones, Elliott and Thiago are still there. Jones and Elliott will likely be there with whoever takes over from Klopp this summer.
Those were two players who would have stood in Grujic’s path on either side of Klopp’s midfield. But Liverpool felt they couldn’t give Grujic the game time to progress so after loan spells, decided to sell. Julian Ward, the club’s then sporting director, delivered the news.
Grujic was disappointed but not disheartened. He had enjoyed his time at Porto, he just felt he could still cut it at Liverpool. So there was no concern about returning to Portugal. Soon he was settled with his growing young family.
Marko Grujic was sent out on a series of loans before leaving Liverpool permanently (Getty Images)Sergio Conceicao, the Porto boss, was a big fan. He mad 31 appearances as Porto won the title in the 2021-22 campaign. There were injuries last term but he was an influential player again but now this season his form dipped and he’s out of the team.
That’s led to some criticism of the manager with a feeling Grujic deserves more minutes but it is costing him with Serbia too. A move in January never came off. Grujic is at another crossroads. Maybe a cameo against Arsenal from the bench could change it.
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