Liverpool midfielder Marko Grujic has rejoined Hertha Berlin on loan for a second successive season.
The 23-year-old, who signed for the Reds in January 2016 for £5.1million, made 23 appearances for the Bundesliga club, scoring five goals.
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Outgoing Hertha head coach Pal Dardai was so impressed he described the Serbia international as the club’s best midfielder in 20 years.
PA understands Liverpool will receive a £2million loan fee plus £500,000 in potential bonuses, with the German side paying Grujic’s wages.
The deal also includes penalty clauses based on game time.
Eintracht Frankfurt and Werder Bremen also wanted to sign the midfielder, while Brighton and Atalanta were among his other admirers, but their interest came too late, with the player happy to return to a club where he felt at home.
There are no current plans to allow Grujic to leave on a permanent basis, however, and Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp – who is understood to have been impressed by the player’s decision to rejoin Hertha to further his development – expects him to be part of his squad for the 2020-21 season.