Daniel Taylor discusses how Marko Grujic can fit in at Liverpool with a wealth of midfield options for Jurgen Klopp to weigh up.
The Serbian youth star became Jurgen Klopp’s first ever signing in the January transfer window and despite being sent back on loan, we were able to see positive performances in a Liverpool shirt during pre-season.
What can we expect from Grujic this season? It is unlikely for him to get too much first team action as he’s still very young, don’t be fooled by his height. In a recent interview, Grujic said , “First season I just want to learn from these guys. I want to get minutes to improve for the future, I think next season will be the one where I show what I can do.”
This displays his expectations. I feel that Grujic will use this season wisely to adapt to the league as he has the foundations to be a very successful player for Liverpool in the Premier League.
We saw him score some goals in pre-season against teams like Huddersfield. If he could replicate that in the future it would help take pressure off the strikers. Goals from midfield is very important in any league, so if Grujic could contribute it would be an asset.
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The Premier League is a very physical League; there are lots of prolific players from other leagues such as La Liga, who have come to the Premier League but cannot compete with the physicality of the League and are not as successful as expected. Grujic is 6 foot 3 and therefore has the height and physicality that suits the league even at such a young age.
I believe that Liverpool have missed such a presence in the midfield – we have been without a powerhouse for a long time. We have opted to play with smaller holding players such as Lucas and Allen but in the coming years Marko Grujic could become an important part of the squad. Hopefully Klopp can bring the best out of him to make sure he fulfills his potential.
Where would he fit in? Well, I believe it’s fair to say James Milner won’t be Liverpool’s long term left back option and as a midfielder he is not getting any younger so Grujic could slowly become an option to replace him.
Emre Can would be a good midfield partner for him in my opinion. It seems s though he has been restricted as far as his attacking potential is concerned as he has not had defensive backup. However, if he was playing along side Grujic, he would be able to exploit his attacking ability. They are both physically strong and powerful and are both young – there is the potential to form a great partnership.
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