Hertha Berlin are leading the chase to sign Marko Grujic, who is expected to be released by Liverpool for a fee of just £20 million.
According to Goal, Liverpool are on the verge of offloading Marko Grujic. The midfielder, who returned from his loan spell from Hertha Berlin this summer, is expected to leave Anfield permanently for a fee of around £20 million.
It appears Hertha themselves are favourites to secure the services of Grujic this summer. There is, however, a catch, with the Bundesliga club only interested in a loan move which will include an obligation to buy at the end of the season. But having loaned him out so many times already, Liverpool are unlikely to sanction such a move.
As a result, Hertha’s rivals like Eintracht Frankfurt and Borussia Monchengladbach are closely monitoring Grujic’s situation, along with Premier League clubs like Aston Villa and Crystal Palace, who have reportedly contacted the player’s agent.
Grujic has been a part of the Liverpool side since January 2016, when he joined the club in a £6.3 million move from Red Star Belgrade. He was immediately loaned back to the Serbian outfit for the rest of the 2015/16 campaign.
It was followed by further loan spells at Cardiff City and Hertha Berlin, who managed to extend his initial stay in 2018 to another year last summer.
During his ongoing four-and-a-half year spell at the club, Grujic has mustered only 14 competitive appearances for Liverpool. And with the Reds looking to undergo a potential overhaul in midfield, it appears the Serbian international has no future at Anfield.
A return to Hertha, in that regard, does make sense. Grujic has made quite a name for himself in the Bundesliga and in Berlin, where he could potentially create a formidable midfield partnership alongside Lucas Tousart and Santiago Ascacibar next season.
The club from the capital has shown tremendous ambition, at least in the market and the return of Grujic could serve as an ideal catalyst as Hertha look to continue their brilliant run of form under Bruno Labbadia.
However, Eintracht Frankfurt, who have already gotten rid of old guards like Gelson Fernandes and Jonathan De Guzman. Grujic, in that respect, could become an appealing addition to the midfield unit that already boasts the services of Dominik Kohr and Sebastian Rode.
For Liverpool, meanwhile, the sale of Grujic could be the first step in what is expected to be a busy transfer window. It could well be followed by the departure of Harry Wilson, who has been linked with Aston Villa and Leeds United.