Boyhood Liverpool fan and ex-Anfield ace linked with shock move to Reds’ rivals – report | OneFootball

Former Liverpool midfielder Marko Grujic has been linked with a return to a Premier League, but the identity of the prospective suitor may shock Reds supporters.

According to Serbian outlet Telegraf, Manchester United are enquiring about the 26-year-old, with contact having ‘already been established through intermediaries’.

AC Milan are also interested in the Serbia international, who Porto signed from Anfield for €9m (£8m) in 2021 following a loan spell at the Estadio Dragao.

The report added the caveat that Grujic ‘has been a big fan of Liverpool since childhood’ and that the Reds’ fan base ‘loved him’, which could see the player think twice about joining one of our fiercest rivals.

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Jurgen Klopp’s first signing as the Merseyside club’s manager was on the books for five-and-a-half years but only made 16 competitive appearances (Transfermarkt).

Indeed, his most famous contribution is probably the looping header he scored in a 4-0 win over Barcelona at Wembley in a pre-season clash in 2016.

In contrast to this season when our midfield has been widely criticised, Grujic’s time as a Liverpool player coincided with a period where we were richly stocked in that department.

Jordan Henderson and Fabinho were in the prime of their careers and James Milner was a more regular presence, while Georginio Wijnaldum, Adam Lallana and (for a couple of years) Emre Can were ahead of him in the pecking order.

The Serbian has finally managed to find a settled home at Porto, making 105 appearances for the club so far (Transfermarkt), so perhaps Anfield was simply the right move at the wrong time.

However, if he were to sign for Man United, it could destroy a lot of the goodwill he may have with Liverpool supporters, much like Michael Owen when he moved to Old Trafford in 2009.

Let’s hope Grujic’s affinity for the Reds will deter him from teaming up with Erik ten Hag and co.

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