German boss Jurgen Klopp has completed his first signing at Liverpool, as the Merseyside club announced via Twitter that they have agreed a deal with Red Star Belgrade for rising youngster Marko Grujic.
The 19-year-old under-21 Serbian international put pen to paper on a reported 5-year contract worth £5.1m at Melwood earlier on Wednesday, and was unveiled the very same day, undergoing his medical on Monday.
Liverpool Football Club are delighted to confirm the signing of Serbia midfielder Marko Grujic. #LFC pic.twitter.com/mPwcWuA9Ti
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) January 6, 2016
Having scored 5 goals in 21 league games for the Serbian giants, he garnered interest from several of England's elite having helped his club to a whopping 25-point lead in the Serbian Superliga standings.
However, it was the Reds who moved in swiftly to secure his signature with the aid of Klopp's assistant Zeljko Buvac, also from Serbia.
“I’m very excited and so proud to be here and a member of Liverpool Football Club. I can’t wait to get started, play at Anfield and train at Melwood," said the new Liverpool signing.
Grujic takes a tour around Melwood
Marko Grujic familiarises himself with Melwood... #LFC https://t.co/XCSB33PRLv
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) January 6, 2016
“I was thinking about my progress in my next period and decided it was good for me to come here and try to be the best I can.
“I want to play in front of one of the loudest set of fans in Europe at Anfield.
“I also like the atmospheres at other stadiums, the crowds are very good. I like to play under pressure and that’s why I’ve come here – because it brings out the best in me.”
Grujic, however, will imediately return to Red Star Belgrade, where he will remain until the end of the season, on loan as part of the agreement.
This means that fans hoping to see the under-20 World Cup winner join the injury-ravaged Liverpool squad will be left disappointed, as he will only join up with the English giants on July 1st.
Manager Jurgen Klopp admitted that Grujic has some unfinished business with Red Star Belgrade, whilst also praising the 19-year-old, saying:
"We're very pleased because Marko is a big talent and we've seen him a lot of times.
"When I came here, our scouts showed me some footage of a very skilled player from Red Star Belgrade. We watched it, we spoke to him, we met each other -- he's a good boy, a young boy, but plays an important role at the moment at Red Star, who are the best team in Serbia."
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