Repeatedly linked over a move to Klopp’s Liverpool side, Red Star Belgrade prospect Marko Grujic is seemingly making waves as has side close in on Serbian title.
Whilst you may expect that the money and potential fame of Premier League football is the real prize for many young European footballers, not everyone is convinced that the the big move is helpful towards a youngsters footballing development.
Take for instance Grujic’s very own father who has taken to hiding his 19 year old sons passport in an effort to keep his boy in Serbia, citing the fact that the transfer is purely motivated by funds desperately needed by his current club.
Speaking to Serbian paper Blic (and helpfully translated by 101GG), Grujic Snr comments;
I will not let them ruin my child! The people who run [Red Star] have all turned their backs, others are penniless and there’s been a downturn in club sales. That is why we are being pressured.
After calling ten times a day they convinced [Marko] to sign a contract. For him there is also pressure in the locker room, because some players are convinced that their payments depend exclusively from club sales.
We chatted with people from Udinese, as well as representatives from Anderlecht. But there were stories about the sale. Then came the story with Liverpool.
Having seen a slew of Serbian youngsters fail to make headway in the Premier League in recent years, Goran is adamant that his boy will not make the same mistake.
His passport is with me, and I pronounce that Marko is not going anywhere. He became champion of the world (with Serbia Under-20s), is on track to win the title with Red Star, it is logical that his price per year will get even bigger year on year.
Many people are in a hurry to collect the transfer. I know that the coach Miodrag Bozovic respects my child. Leave the kid alone! But in the end, Liverpool will just offer more money.
None of [Serbia’s] younger players survived in the Premier League. Bojan Djordjic, Milos Veljkovic, Adem Ljajic, Zoran Tosic, Lazar Markovic, Danilo Pantic… Do you need me to continue to list them? None of them had the opportunity to prove themselves.
Know your child. I know mine has the quality to be able to play in England, but it’s not the league for him now.
To be fair how can anyone disagree. Prem clubs like nothing more than stockpiling young mouldable talent before leaving them on the scrapheap like bastard Simon Cowell’s and doe eyed X Factor contestants.
Mitts off we say. Although don’t tell his dad, but we’re pretty sure Marko can just apply for a new passport.