Lazar Markovic’s time at Liverpool finally looks to be coming to an end. After joining for £20m in 2014 the Serbian International has played just 34 games for the Reds. In a spell that can only be called an unmitigated disaster, Markovic has spent much of the last 4 year on loan, or sitting on the bench, or both.
Markovic Fall From Grace
After earning rave reviews at Benfica the then 20-year-old secured a dream move to one of the former powerhouses of English football. Looking to bounce back to consistently competing for trophies Liverpool overpaid, but the future did look bright at the time.
Nemanja Matic, who played alongside him at Benfica, said: “He has such massive potential that if he changed his attitude in training he could be one of Europe’s best players in his position. He’s young, he’ll mature, and then nobody will be able to stop him.”
Having scored 14 in 65 for Partizan, he shone in his only season in Benfica. His goal tally was down as he stepped up the level, but his 7 goals in 49 games seemed solid for one so young.
However in his first season at Anfield, he looked decidedly overmatched. Scoring just 2 goals in 19 league games, and adding one in the Carling Cup. A red card in the Champions League only heightened his problems. It was a poor start, and he was immediately put out on loan for his second season.
The loan to Fenerbache wasn’t any more of a success as he managed 2 goals in 20 games. A hamstring injury cut short his season, and he returned to Liverpool.
Trying To Relaunch
Further loans ensued in 2016/17 as he started the season at Sporting in Portugal. After 2 goals in 14 appearances, he returned to England to join Premier League strugglers Hull City. It was to prove another fruitless spell as he would again underperform and look outclassed.
Starting 2017/18 out of the picture at Anfield, it wasn’t until January that he was finally loaned out to Anderlecht in Belgium. However, his fitness and conditioning was so poor that the club announced it would take at least 6 weeks for him to be fit enough to play first-team football.
Liverpool have clearly had enough of Markovic’s disappointing series of events and are ready to cut and run. If they can get any money for him this summer it will be a win for them, as he has only 12 months left on his contract.
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