'I'm 24 & I need to be clever' - Grujic keeping options open amid uncertain Liverpool future

Liverpool midfielder Marko Grujic says he hopes that he and Jurgen Klopp will discuss his future at the club in the coming months.

The 24-year-old is out on loan in the Bundesliga with Hertha Berlin, having previously spent time at former club Red Star Belgrade and Cardiff while on the books at Anfield.

With Jordan Henderson, Georginio Wijnaldum, Fabinho, Naby Keita, James Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain all ahead of him in the race for a starting midfield spot in Klopp’s side, Grujic admits breaking into the first team is a huge task.

“That challenge is so big,” Grujic told the Athletic. “Those boys have performed so well this season, which I’m happy about.

“There are a lot of quality midfielders at Liverpool. It’s honestly hard to get a chance.”

Grujic says he hasn’t discussed his future with Klopp yet, but he is expecting the conversation to happen.

“I hope that will happen in the next few months,” he added. “I’m sure we will sit down and discuss what is best for the club and what is best for me.

“I’m not a youngster any more. At the age of 24, I’m at the stage when I need to be making important steps in my career.

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“I need to think and I need to be clever about what happens next. Is the best thing to stay in Liverpool and wait for a chance or is it time to have another loan or move to another club?

“At the moment, I don’t know the answer. Everything is still open.

“The Bundesliga is a good league and over the past two years I’ve gained a lot of important experience and I feel like I’ve improved as a player.”

Despite his current distance from the club, Grujic has enjoyed seeing Liverpool steamroll their way to within touching distance of a first title in the Premier League era.

He, like so many others, would hate to see that title snatched away by the coronavirus crisis – but he admits it pales in significance as the global death toll continues to rise.

“It’s been an unbelievable season for the club and I feel very proud to say I am part of Liverpool,” he said.

“Having waited so long to win the title and with it being so close, I can imagine how all the fans in Liverpool are feeling right now.

“It’s bit unfair for the team as it was 99 per cent certain they would win it. They played so many great games and built up such a big lead at the top. Now they have to wait.

“The timing is bad luck but that’s how it is. We shouldn’t think too much about football at this time because there are more important things in life like people’s health.”