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Marko Grujic has been absolutely phenomenal on loan at Hertha Berlin this season, so much so that he could be the perfect replacement for utility man James Milner.
On the chalkboard
Liverpool spent big in midfield last summer, splashing out over £100m to bring Fabinho, Naby Keita and Xherdan Shaqiri to the club, per Transfermarkt.
They will likely need to add to that department again in 2019 though, as Milner has finally begun to show signs of ageing and Adam Lallana could well leave in search of regular playing time – the latter has played just 205 Premier League minutes this season, per Whoscored.
Despite the constant fan obsession with new signings however, Klopp may just find his new midfield maestro right under his nose, as the German’s very first Liverpool signing is setting the Bundesliga alight.
FFC’s James Jones has identified the one thing that could cost Liverpool the title. Find out what it is in the video below…
The perfect all-rounder?
Grujic joined the Reds in January 2016 for a fee of around £5m, per BBC, but has spent most of his Liverpool career out on loan.
After a brief spell with former club Red Star Belgrade he went on to play a huge part in Cardiff City’s promotion last season, using his size and steel to good effect in the Championship.
He has now shown a different side to his game in Germany, excelling as a box-to-box midfielder in Berlin, even prompting Hertha manager and legend Pal Dardai to anoint him “the best midfielder we have had in the last 20 years”.
The 22 year-old finished off a beautiful team goal in a 2-2 draw with Schalke on Friday to grab his second Bundesliga strike of the season, per Whoscored, but his all-round performance will have impressed Klopp even more than the goal.
The 6 ft 3 in colossus won three aerial duels and registered one key pass, one dribble and two shots, per Whoscored, bossing the match with smart passing, good reading of the game and sheer physical dominance.
After excelling as a defensive midfielder in Cardiff and marauding from box to box in Berlin, Grujic is more than ready to step in and play a pivotal role in Klopp’s squad next season, and his versatility could even see him become the gaffer’s new utility man.
So, Liverpool fans, do you want to see Grujic in the first team next year? Let us know your thoughts in the comments down below…