Why Liverpool Should Sell Lazar Markovic This Summer
Lazar Markovic’s future is in doldrums. The Serbian winger finds himself in an uncertain situation ahead of the next season as it looks highly unlikely that he has any future with his current club Liverpool.
There was reported interest from fellow Premier League side Watford FC (Daily Star), as the Hornets’ new manager, Marco Silva was keen on working with Markovic again, after having managed him in the second half of last season, during a loan spell at Hull City.
However, as per the latest reports from Football Whispers, Liverpool have rejected a £10million bid from Watford for the 23-year old. The report claims that the Hornets offered an initial £8million fee with an added £2million in bonuses. But the Merseysiders weren’t willing to consider it as they look to recoup most of what they spent on Markovic.
Liverpool signed Markovic back in the summer of 2014 from Portuguese champions SL Benfica for a fee reported in the region of £20million. The move was sanctioned by then Reds’ boss Brendan Rodgers. However, following his big move, the 23-year old has struggled to make an impact in England. In his first season with the Reds, Markovic managed just 3 goals from 34 games, prompting the Reds to send him out on loan for the following season.
After the change in managers at Liverpool, things did not bode well for the Serbian and a series of disappointing temporary stints at Fenerbahce and Sporting CP only added to his misery. However, having joined Hull City in the winter window last season, Markovic was able to show some semblance of form and showcase his innate talent. While 2 goals from 14 games isn’t exactly an excellent return, his abilities were there for everyone to see and that seems to have done enough to convince Marco Silva to try and sign him for his new club Watford.
Markovic was regarded as the next big thing in Serbian football but his failure to set the stage on fire has derailed his career somewhat. However, a move to Watford, under a manager that seems to trust his abilities seems to be the ideal move for the player to resurrect his career.
As for Liverpool, it is clear that manager Jurgen Klopp doesn’t see Markovic as part of his plans for the future. And with the array of talents available at the German’s disposal, it is extremely hard to envisage the Serbian winger to break into the team.
Someone who hasn’t kicked a ball for the Reds in two years now, the club will be better off in getting him off their books and cutting their losses. With almost no interest in the player apart from Watford, Liverpool should not be playing hardball over the transfer fee and should look to offload Markovic at the earliest.