After dismal performances at the start of the league, owners FSG sacked Brendan Rodgers and signed a contract with Jurgen Klopp with a promise to give him time and funds to bring Liverpool to the top where it belongs.
And in the first transfer window after his signing, the German manager has completed his first signing at his new club. Serbian star Marco Grujic became the first signing for the Reds in the Klopp era on Wednesday.
The Serbian Under-21 international has agreed terms with Liverpool on a contract worth £5.1million that will keep him at Anfield up to 2020. The Red Star Belgrade player will, however, be loaned back to the club till the end of the season.
Jurgen Klopp speaking to the media on the eve of the official announcement was delighted with the capture of one of the most promising young talents in Europe at the moment.
‘We’re very pleased because Marko is a big talent and we’ve seen him a lot of times,’ Klopp told the club’s official website.
‘When I came here, our scouts showed me some footage of a very skilled player from Red Star Belgrade. We watched it, we spoke to him, we met each other – he’s a good boy, a young boy but plays an important role at the moment at Red Star, who are the best team in Serbia.
‘To describe him, I would say he’s a tall boy, but quick and good at technical things. He can play passes and can dribble. But he is young, so he has to develop. He will do this, so everything is okay.’
Zeljko Buvac, Klopp’s Serbian assistant at Liverpool had a role to play in this transfer as Klopp persuaded the star to join the Anfield outfit fending off interest from clubs like Zenit and CSKA Moscow who were offering more than £7 million.
Grujic, 19, added: ‘I’m very excited and so proud to be here and a member of Liverpool Football Club. I can’t wait to get started, play at Anfield and train at Melwood.
‘I was thinking about my progress in my next period and decided it was good for me to come here and try to be the best I can.
‘I want to play in front of one of the loudest set of fans in Europe at Anfield.
‘I also like the atmospheres at other stadiums, the crowds are very good. I like to play under pressure and that’s why I’ve come here – because it brings out the best in me.’
Grujic is a welcome addition at Liverpool, a team built around relatively young players. And with recent injuries to the squad, it will not be a surprise to see Klopp splashing money in the market this January.