:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/37185272/175093285.0.jpg)
If there's one thing to be said about Liverpool's transfer window this summer, it's that no matter how complicated the deal, Ian Ayre found a way to make it happen. One major component of this success was the frequency with which Liverpool ultimately agreed to pay a player's release clause in order to secure his services, resulting in multiple players being subjected to the inevitable "Did Liverpool overpay?" conversation.
Lazar Markovic is one such player, with Liverpool having paid his £20m release clause to wrestle him away from Benfica. Adam Lallana's and Dejan Lovren's price tags may have received the lion's share of the commentary in this area so far, but Markovic insists that his own price tag is irrelevant for what he'll bring to the club.
Must Read
"I’m not the most expensive signing of the summer but even if I were I wouldn’t care much about that," the player said as part of a wide-ranging interview with the Liverpool Echo. "I’ve never thought about anything in relation to money. I’ve never cared about or done anything for money in my personal or my professional life. What does it even mean to be more expensive than others? It absolutely doesn’t matter. The pitch, not the money, is the measure of everyone’s worth in football.
"I believe Liverpool fans expect a lot from me, and to be honest I expect a lot from myself. The same applies for the people who worked hard to bring me here. I do not have any fear or stage fright whatsoever. To tell you the truth, I can’t wait to start playing for Liverpool."
It's a sentiment Liverpool fans will be glad to hear as they wait for Markovic to return from tendon injury he sustained during Liverpool's pre-season tour. Lack of spark in Liverpool's attack on Sunday versus Southampton was a noted weakness after the match, but hopefully Markovic's desire to prove himself on the pitch will help contribute to more goal scoring once he finds himself back in the line-up.
