Southampton signing this £20m Liverpool outcast would be a smart move to boost depth and quality

Why Southampton should go all out for Marko Grujic this summer

According to Twitter claims from The Telegraph journalist Mike McGrath, Southampton have been credited with an interest in out-of-favour Liverpool midfielder Marko Grujic.

Premier League rivals West Ham have also been linked with a move for the 24-year-old, who spent the last couple of seasons on loan at Hertha Berlin in the Bundesliga. The German club have expressed their desire to sign the Serbian international permanently, but have been put off by Liverpool’s £20million asking price for the midfielder. (h/t The Telegraph)

Profile

Marko Grujic shot to prominence with Red Star Belgrade in Serbia before completing a move to Liverpool in January 2016. He won the Serbian SuperLiga title with Red Star Belgrade after being loaned back to his former club for the second half of the 2015-16 campaign.

The 24-year-old has struggled to establish himself as an integral part of Jurgen Klopp’s setup at Anfield over the past few years. Grujic helped Cardiff City secure promotion to the Premier League while on loan in the Championship during the second half of the 2017-18 season before going on to spend the next two campaigns on loan at Hertha Berlin in the German Bundesliga.

The towering central midfielder made 54 appearances for Hertha Berlin in all competitions, scoring 9 goals and registering 3 assists in the process. Grujic has featured for Liverpool in the EFL Cup this season following his return to Anfield earlier in the summer but is yet to play a part in the Premier League.

Grujic could be the perfect replacement for Hojbjerg

It goes without saying that Southampton desperately need to bring in a new central midfielder before the summer deadline. Ralph Hasenhuttl has gone into each of the Saints’ four opening fixtures this season so far, with James Ward-Prowse and Oriol Romeu as his preferred pairing in the middle of the park.

Indeed, the departure of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg to Tottenham has robbed Southampton of some real depth and quality in the midfield. Ward-Prowse and Romeu are currently the only recognised central midfielders available at Hasenhuttl’s disposal, with academy prospect Will Smallbone also very much in the reckoning.

However, it’s a no-brainer that the Saints can’t afford to rely on just two midfielders to carry them through a 38-game PL season, not to mention the challenge of participating in the FA Cup later on in the campaign. 

Marko Grujic, to that end, ticks plenty of boxes to come through the door as a handy addition to the ranks at St. Mary’s. Standing at 6ft 3in with a powerful frame, the Serbian looks good enough to make the step up to the Premier League after proving his mettle in the Bundesliga over the past two seasons.

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The 24-year-old is capable of playing in a holding role and in a box-to-box role as well, thus providing Hasenhuttl with an ideal option to rotate Romeu alongside Ward-Prowse in the middle.

Plus, Grujic’s heat map from his previous campaign in the Bundesliga clearly shows that he’s capable of covering a lot of ground and contributes equally to both the defence and the attack, thus making him an ideal fit for Hasenhuttl’s pressing philosophy.

Verdict

Marko Grujic has really caught the eye in the Bundesliga and still has his best years of him at 24. Hence, he would be an excellent investment for Southampton, not only for the present but also for several years moving forward.