Official: Marko Grujic Joins FC Porto on Permanent Transfer

Five-and-a-half years ago, Marko Grujic became the first signing of the Jürgen Klopp era at Liverpool when the club agreed a £5M January deal with Red Star Belgrade for the Serbian midfielder before immediately returning him to his boyhood club for the second half of the 2015-16 season.

At the time, hopes were high for his future at Anfield, but in the end that loan straight back to Red Star set the tone, a Grujic would spend most of his time away from Liverpool over the years. In 2018 he headed to Cardiff City. Then hen went to Hertha Berlin for two loan spells. Then he joined Porto for a season.

Despite that each of those loan spells went well, with all of the clubs rumoured to be interested in holding on to the player permanently, with each passing season a Liverpool future seemed less likely. And today, after five-and-a-half years, one of those clubs has turned interest into action.

Today, Grujic is officially an FC Porto player, with the Primeira Liga side agreeing a £10.5M deal to sign him permanently. After making 36 appearances for them on loan, Grujic will return as one of their most important players as they look to improve on last season’s second place finish.

It’s less than the fee Liverpool had sought last summer and a reflection of the currently depressed transfer market as the club look to shift some of their fringe players and make room for new signings, with Taiwo Awoniyi expected to be the next departure, likely to Union Berlin.