Report: Liverpool man wants to rejoin former club that’s refusing to pay £18m

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Marko Grujic is open to the idea of returning to Hertha Berlin before Monday’s transfer deadline but the Bundesliga outfit have no intention of paying the £18 million fee Liverpool are demanding, according to Kicker.

In another era, a man who became the first signing of Jurgen Klopp’s reign five years ago could be closing in on his 100th Premier League appearance in Liverpool colours.

Unfortunately for him, however, Grujic’s arrival coincided with the emergence of the greatest Reds team in three decades.

With Jordan Henderson, Gini Wijnaldum, Fabinho, Naby Keita, James Milner and more ahead of him in the pecking order, the skilful Serbian international has been restricted to eight appearances in the top flight of English football.

Grujic hasn’t made the matchday squad for any of Liverpool’s Premier League games in 2020/21, with his only action coming in the 7-2 Carabao Cup thrashing of Lincoln City last week.

Now Goal reports Liverpool, a team with a remarkable track record when it comes to making big profits on fringe players, want £20 million for the former Partizan Belgrade wonderkid.

But if the Merseyside giants were hoping Hertha Berlin would swell their coffers by snapping up a man who spent the past two years on loan at the Olimpiastadion, they will be disappointed.

Hertha’s top midfield target isn’t Grujic but Lyon’s France U21 international Jeff Reine-Adelaide.

The former Arsenal youngster would cost the nouveau-riche, American-owned outfit a club record £25 million transfer fee.

And while Hertha have money to burn these days, they aren’t going to spend £18 million on another midfielder in this most difficult of markets.

Grujic might be keen on a return to the Bundesliga but he may have no choice but to settle for life on the sidelines at Anfield.