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Another transfer window has passed and Liverpool already know the players they will have at their disposal until January, at least. The twists and turns that wowed us all in the unusual market where Premier League clubs spent over £ 1.2 billion. Liverpool played their part, but their business was quite astute compared to their rivals.
The Thiago Alcântara and Diogo Jota deals were completed with very little upfront costs, while the Kostas Tsimikas fee was effectively offset by the departure of Dejan Lovren. Liverpool have become the master of the transfer market, but there are still one or two questions about the squad.
One player whose future seems to be getting closer and closer to an exit next summer is Gini Wijnaldum. With his contract expiring next summer, it seems increasingly likely that he will leave as a free agent. There is still time, of course, for that to change, but there are no signs of a new deal on the horizon, and if Liverpool were desperate to extend their deal, you’d think they would have fixed it by now.
However, it could be the case that Liverpool have already decided to let Wijnaldum go and are preparing to have a replacement immediately. While many clubs will be looking for replacements in the transfer market, Anfield’s may be looking inward. Naby Keïta has been touted as a possible solution to the inevitable void Wijnaldum would leave, but could there be an alternative solution waiting behind the scenes?
Marko Grujic, who has apparently been forgotten by many fans and experts, may be a surprise option. Since arriving from Red Star Belgrade in 2016, Grujic has spent most of that time away from Anfield on loan. There is no doubt that Liverpool see something in him, otherwise they would have sold him a long time ago, or they wouldn’t even have bought him full stop.
The 24-year-old will spend the rest of the season on loan at Porto and has a chance to shine in the highest stage of his career so far. A regular starter in a team that plays the Champions League and a great possibility of winning a league title with the Portuguese club, something that was not going to happen at Liverpool. It is an opportunity Grujic must seize with both hands, especially if he has hopes of a long-term career with Liverpool.
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After two seasons in the Bundesliga with Hertha Berlin, another campaign at the highest level with Porto should provide Grujic with the perfect opportunity to become a player who could start in Liverpool’s midfield from next season. To put it more simply, if next summer you link Liverpool with a 25-year-old midfielder who played regularly in the Champions League and won the Portuguese league title, does that sound so bad?
This is not to say that Grujic is likely to put himself in Wijnaldum’s place next season, after all, they are not the same type of player even though they are both midfielders. And let’s not forget, Liverpool are already blessed with a lot of talent at their disposal in the middle of the park, and they might as well add it to the transfer market next summer.
But possible departures are likely next summer; Harry Wilson, Xherdan Shaqiri, James Milner and Wijnaldum could be in new ventures this time next year, Liverpool could look to Grujic as a possible first-team option next season. However, the chances of this happening, as things stand, are slim. It is more than likely that the club will look to the transfer market and bring in a player who will seek to mold in the style of Wijnaldum, or even in his own way that fits the philosophy of Jurgen Klopp.
It’s a situation where Liverpool have encountered Emre Can before two years ago, and the club has gone from strength to strength ever since. Of course, Wijnaldum is of greater importance than Can during Klopp’s tenure, so he will pose a challenge when the Dutchman inevitably leaves Anfield.
It remains to be seen whether Klopp and Liverpool see Grujic as a long-term figure at Anfield when his stint in Portugal comes to an end, but it will be interesting how the club tries to transition to a team without Wijnaldum as smooth as possible.
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