Hertha Berlin have signed Liverpool midfielder Marko Grujic on a season-long loan.
The Serbia international will return to the German capital for a second successive campaign, having turned down offers from Bundesliga rivals Werder Bremen and Eintracht Frankfurt.
Liverpool will receive a £2 million loan fee as part of the deal, plus potential bonuses of £500,000, while Hertha will cover his wages in full and there will also be a penalty structure on game time, meaning the Bundesliga club will be charged if Grujic does not play.
Grujic impressed with Hertha last term, making 23 appearances and scoring five goals. The 23-year-old was desperate to secure first-team football this season in order to aid his development.
Frankfurt could have offered European football, while Bremen used international team-mate Milos Veljkovic and manager Florian Kohfeldt to make their case, but Grujic settled well in Berlin last season and is happy to continue his career at the Olympiastadion.
Liverpool will hope he can continue to showcase the talent which convinced them to sign him from Red Star Belgrade in 2016. Grujic was a regular starter for Hertha when fit, but saw his progress hampered by a pair of ill-timed ankle injuries.
The tall, powerful midfield man has already made 14 senior appearances for the Reds but the last came in December 2017.
However, sources have told Goal that the plan is still very much for Grujic to return to Liverpool and become an important part of the squad for the 2020-21 season. Jurgen Klopp has been impressed with Grujic’s attitude and maturity in choosing Hertha again as the Reds boss believes it is an ideal move for the player’s development on the road to being used by Liverpool.
It is also considered significant that both Cardiff and Hertha, where Grujic has been on loan in recent seasons, have both been desperate to keep him for another season.
Liverpool fielded enquiries from a number of European clubs in recent weeks, including Atalanta, Atletico Madrid and Premier League side Brighton, but Grujic’s preference was for a loan deal with Hertha. He has trained hard while on holiday in Mykonos this summer, and has joined up with his new team-mates for the first day of pre-season training on Monday.
His departure is one of many anticipated at Anfield in the coming weeks. Rafa Camacho has already left for Sporting Lisbon, while Sheyi Ojo joined Rangers on loan earlier this month.
Ben Woodburn, Ovie Ejaria and Herbie Kane should secure loans to Championship clubs – Hull are keen on both Kane and Woodburn - while Kamil Grabara has interest from Germany, Belgium and England after his impressive performances at the European Under-21 Championship.
Ryan Kent is wanted by Rangers, Aston Villa, Leeds and Middlesbrough, while Harry Wilson is expecting to go on Liverpool’s tour of the USA before a decision is made on his future.
Anderson Arroyo and Taiwo Awoniyi are two more players who will depart, likely on loan.