Why West Ham should reignite their interest in Marko Grujic
Back in October, a report from The Telegraph had mentioned West Ham among the potential suitors for out-of-favour Liverpool midfielder Marko Grujic. Southampton were also understood to be in the race to sign the Serbian enforcer but the 24-year-old eventually departed Anfield to join Portuguese giants FC Porto on a season-long loan deal before the deadline.
Profile
Marko Grujic started his professional career with Red Star Belgrade during the 2012-13 season and spent time on loan at Kolubara in the Serbian second-tier before establishing himself as a regular starter at his parent club. He completed a move to Liverpool in January 2016 and was loaned back to Red Star.
The 24-year-old struggled to nail down a prominent role at Anfield and was loaned out to Cardiff City for the second half of the 2017-18 campaign. Having helped the Bluebirds secure promotion to the Premier League, Grujic spent the 2018-19 campaign on loan at Hertha Berlin in Germany.
A year later, his loan spell was extended by a further 12 months and Grujic went on to register impressive returns of 9 goals and 3 assists in 54 appearances for Hertha Berlin in all competitions. The Serb made a couple of domestic cup appearances on his return to Liverpool this past summer and scored his first goal for the Reds before sealing yet another loan move to Porto in the Primeira Liga.
Grujic would be a solid addition to West Ham’s midfield
West Ham managed to keep hold of star midfielder Declan Rice amidst repeated interest from Chelsea during the summer window.
Rice and Tomas Soucek have been the undisputed first-choice central midfielders under David Moyes but the Hammers currently lack quality alternatives in that department. Jack Wilshere, Pedro Obiang and Carlos Sanchez have all departed the club in the recent past while Mark Noble and Robert Snodgrass as nearing their twilight at 33.
Hence, West Ham should start lining up some talented young midfielders in the market. And reigniting interest in Marko Grujic would definitely make a lot of sense in footballing terms. While a potential deal for the Serb in January might be a bit too optimistic (he is currently on loan at Porto) the Hammers should fancy their chances next summer.
Essentially a central midfielder by trade, Grujic is comfortable in both defensive and box-to-box roles in the middle of the park. Standing at 6ft 3in with a towering frame, Grujic shares a lot of similarities with his senior compatriot and Man United star Nemanja Matic in his style of play.
The Serb proved his credentials as a quality midfielder while on loan at Hertha Berlin in Germany and looks more than capable of playing week in week out in the Premier League.
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Verdict
Suffice to say, West Ham need to more depth in their central midfield department and Marko Grujic would definitely be an excellent addition to the club’s ranks with one eye on the future.
The 24-year-old still has his best years ahead of him and it will be interesting to see the Serb compete with other quality players like Rice and Soucek for a spot in the starting XI if a move to East London does materialise in the near future.
