Man Utd 'plotting shock move for Liverpool flop Marko Grujic' but could struggle to convince him to join

Manchester United have reportedly made an approach for former Liverpool midfielder Marko Grujic – but could struggle to convince him to move to Old Trafford.

Liverpool beat a number of European football's biggest clubs, including Juventus and Chelsea, to the signature of Grujic in 2016 when the Serbia international moved to Anfield from Red Star Belgrade in a £5.1m deal.

Hopes were high that Grujic would go on to become a key player in Liverpool's midfield under the guidance of Jurgen Klopp.

But the Serbia international failed to live up to expectations, scoring just once in 16 senior appearances for Liverpool over the course of a four-year spell at the club that saw him spend the vast majority of his time out on loan.

He was later sold to Porto in 2022 for a £10.25m fee and has revived his career with the Portuguese side, making 30 appearances in all competitions this season.

Serbian outlet Telegraf claim Manchester United have made an initial approach to Porto over a potential deal for Grujic, with AC Milan also registering their interest in the midfielder.

However, it is claimed that Grujic may hold reservations about moving to Old Trafford, given his past relationship with Liverpool.

Grujic: My Liverpool career was a success

Despite failing to make an impact at Anfield, Grujic enjoyed his time on Merseyside.

Speaking to The Athletic in 2021, he said: "I would say my career at Liverpool was successful.

"OK, not in terms of games played or what I achieved for the club, but I certainly left Liverpool as a much better player than when I first arrived.

"The coaching staff helped my development and so did the loan spells I had in terms of gaining more experience.

"I learned so much from the senior players at Liverpool about the sacrifices you have to make off the pitch to fulfil your full potential. That professionalism and dedication in terms of how you should live your life is something I certainly took with me.

"I'll stick to that for the rest of my career. Of course, I would have loved to play more but I'll always be grateful for the education I got at Liverpool."

Should he move to United and make a senior appearance, he would become only the third player in the Premier League era to play for both teams after Paul Ince and Michael Owen.

Topics: Liverpool, Manchester United, Premier League, Transfers, Football

Rory O'Callaghan

Rory O'Callaghan is Editorial Lead at SPORTbible. He has previously worked for Sky Sports News, MailOnline and Reach covering football, cricket, boxing and MMA. Tested daily as a Liverpool fan in a Manchester office.

@rory_ocallaghan