Enough is enough: Liverpool must offload their £20m flop in January and cut down the losses

Liverpool must offload Lazar Markovic in January

Liverpool have made one of the best starts to their Premier League campaign in recent history and will be aiming to maintain their strong start to keep pace with the early leaders. Jurgen Klopp brought in a number of considerable new signings to bolster the squad and also offload fringe players.

But as deadline day passed, Liverpool were unable to carry out a deal for Serbian winger Lazar Markovic to move to Anderlecht. The Liverpool man sealed a move to Anfield from Benfica in the summer for 2014 for £20million. Since then, he has only played a part in 31 Premier League appearances, scoring 4 goals and providing 1 assist.

Following successive loan spells at Fenerbahce, Sporting CP, Hull City and Anderlecht, Markovic last made a competitive appearance for Liverpool long ago. Largely seen as a panic buy by Brendan Rodgers in the wake of Luis Suarez’s departure, Markovic was unable to make an impact in England.

The Reds, according to the Express, agreed on a deal for the Serbian to return to Anderlecht this summer but Markovic was unable to agree to personal terms with the Belgian outfit. The report suggests that Liverpool had also negotiated a 50% sell-on clause for the 24-year-old in the event of the attacker enjoying a positive spell with Anderlecht.

Markovic has one year left on his current Anfield contract and if Liverpool do not offload the winger in January, they will be facing a loss. This will represent a similar situation to the desperate purchase of Mario Balotelli who eventually left the club for a low fee.

With the likes of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane, Xherdan Shaqiri and Dominic Solanke all vying for first-team roles, it’s clear that there’s no future for Lazar Markovic at the club. Liverpool must ensure they complete a deal for the player in January.

The Reds have spent a considerably large amount over the summer and last year. Given that it’s almost a guarantee that Markovic will not be a part of Klopp’s plans this summer, offloading the player is the most feasible decision at this point.

Read more: It’s time for goodbye: Liverpool’s £12m star would be better off leaving Anfield for greener pastures

The Serbian is still young and it would be a waste of talent if he is made to warm the bench. In this scenario, making a move away from the club is a win-win deal for both parties. The 24-year-old requires regular match time in order to develop as a footballer and Liverpool can recoup some of the funds they spent to sign him.