According to the Hull Daily Mail, Leeds United want to bring Liverpool midfielder Marko Grujic to Elland Road on a loan spell if they miss out on Mo Besic. The Serbian midfielder spent the second half of the last season on loan with Cardiff City where he made 13 appearances for the Bluebirds and played a decent part in their promotion to the Premier League.
Cardiff wanted to sign him again on a loan deal, but the move didn’t see the light of the day. Grujic was also part of the Serbian squad for the World Cup, but he failed to make an appearance in the team as he was competing for a place with the likes of Nemanja Matic and Sergej Milinkovic Savic.
Marcelo Bielsa has so far gotten a hundred percent win record for the Whites, and he would look to carry on the excellent work. However, he will undoubtedly have some severe challenges up ahead. To continue the good work, he needs to make some improvements and add depth to the squad. The Whites still have until 31st August to sign players on loan.
Leeds United are well endowed concerning central midfield options but signing Grujic would add more quality and depth to their roster. He will also be an upgrade over most of the players. The Serbian is a central midfielder, but he can even play in a more advanced role. We have seen how vital Mateusz Klich is in the current setup and if he gets injured, someone else would have to step in his shoes from the current squad.
Grujic can be the man who does that role effectively as he has all the facets to his game which a central midfielder needs. Even at just 22, he has shown that he has a calm head on his shoulders and is often unfazed by opposition pressing. He might not have been a regular starter at Anfield but, playing under Jurgen Klopp should have made him accustomed to various pressing techniques and things like when to press and when to sit back. That would indeed be a significant factor as we have seen Bielsa deploying a high-intensity football.
When on the ball, Grujic shows good strength and his tall stature also helps him in outmuscling defenders. He has a good passing ability, and the Serbian can play a deeper role as well as he has good vision to pick out his team-mates. Most importantly his work rate is top notch, and he can be the perfect box to box midfielder whom Bielsa can bring in the ongoing transfer market. The Serbian was even touted as the ‘Serbian Steven Gerrard‘ when he signed for the Reds, but things haven’t exactly gone to plans for Grujic at Liverpool.
The midfielder has been bossing the midfield for the Reds in the preseason games, and many are of the opinion that with more game time behind him, he can go on to start for Liverpool in the future. He has a powerful shot, and his movement in the attacking half of the pitch is also worth mentioning. We think that he would be the perfect fit for the Whites in their current system where they heavily depend on high-intensity pressing and quick passing with dynamic movements on the pitch.
The Serbian fits all the bill, however, there have been reports that he has already turned down a move to Middlesbrough and Cardiff City so it would be interesting to see whether Bielsa and Co manage to lure him away from Anfield.
