According to reports from The Guardian, Liverpool chief executive Ian Ayre has flown out to Serbia to seal a deal for Chelsea target and Red Star Belgrade prodigy Marko Grujic.
The 19-year-old, who has been compared to Chelsea midfielder Nemanja Matic due to his towering 6 foot 3 frame, first drew attention as Serbia lifted the U20 World Cup in New Zealand last summer.
Chelsea and Manchester United were linked with Grujic in October and the teenage midfielder later confirmed interest from the Blues, telling reporters; “Nemanja Matic is a friend, he’s Serbian and he has been at Chelsea for over a year. He tells me that they want me.”
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But in recent weeks, speculation has focused more on interest from Premier League rivals Liverpool, which the Serbia U21 has also confirmed. “I had a talk with Liverpool, but I did not receive yet any agreement. I’m still a Red Star player,” he said last week.
Reports yesterday revealed that a deal is close, believed to be worth within the region of €5million, and The Guardian claim chief executive Ian Ayre has now flown out to Serbia to ensure Grujic becomes Jurgen Klopp’s first official signing as Liverpool boss. Rivaled interest from Inter Milan is believed to be the key reason Liverpool are looking to wrap up the transfer so quickly.
Although it will officially count as a January transfer, the Merseysiders are expected to loan the prodigious midfielder back to Red Star for the remainder of the season.
They’re currently top of the Serbian Super League with a whopping 27-point margin and Grujic is intent on playing his part in a title-winning campaign that will also see them qualify for the Champions League.