Marko Grujic is shining again in the Bundesliga – but can he make his mark at Premier League leaders Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp?
Liverpool fans might have thought Marko Grujic had missed the boat at Anfield.
The first signing of the Jurgen Klopp era on Merseyside, Grujic has made just eight Premier League appearances in almost four years as a Liverpool player.
And after returning for a second season on loan at Hertha Berlin over the summer, you’d be forgiven for wondering whether the former Red Star Belgrade wonderkid was set to fritter away his contract and leave on the cheap after barely making a scratch on the first team surface.
But although the highly-rated midfielder is not in Klopp’s plans right now, that could change very soon.
The veteran James Milner is out of contract next summer and it feels unlikely that Adam Lallana will still be a Liverpool player by the time the 2020/21 season kicks off. So a place could open up at the heart of Klopp’s midfield sooner rather than later and Grujic is proving over in Germany that he deserves a chance to step up to the plate.
If there is one criticism of Liverpool’s midfield, it’s a lack of goals. Grujic, however, has scored two in four Bundesliga starts already this season with his latest, a bullet header against Mainz after a late run into the box, reminiscent of Steven Gerrard in his barnstorming pomp.
Grujic’s Liverpool career isn’t over. It’s only just beginning.
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