Red Star Belgrade have announced they have accepted a £5.1 million (Dh28m) bid from Liverpool for their teenage midfielder Marko Grujic. The Serbian club claimed to have received three offers for the 19-year-old, from Belgian club Anderlecht, German side Stuttgart and the Premier League Reds.
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In a statement posted on their official website they revealed they had “unanimously accepted the offer of the English giants”, and had agreed a package that would see Grujic remain with them on loan until the summer.
Red Star said: “The board considered the offer and unanimously accepted the offer of the English giants. Liverpool will pay the money immediately, and the player would stay in Red Star until 01/07/2016.”
Grujic came through the academy system at Red Star and has represented Serbia at various youth levels, although he is yet to earn his first senior cap.
He could become Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp’s first signing at Anfield after the German took the reins in October, and Red Star insist the financial issues at the club meant they had to accept the Reds’ offer for Grujic.
The Serbian club, for whom the likes of Nemanja Vidic, Dejan Stankovic and Nikola Zigic have all played for, nearly went out of business 18 months ago and expect the sale of Grujic to ease their financial concerns.
As well as negotiating a 10 per cent sell-on fee, Red Star also revealed they met Grujic’s father’s wish to see him stay in Belgrade on a loan deal until the summer.
“Marko Grujic should go to a player that continues to develop in one of the biggest clubs in the world; the club is probably the dream of every player on the planet,” Red Star’s added.
