Initial Story-
Lazar Markovic was to move out of Merseyside, PAOK lead the race for the Serb. Liverpool winger. Lazar Markovic was reportedly on the move to join Greek side PAOK on loan right at the last date of European transfer window. If the move comes through, PAOK will have beaten teams like Standard Liege, Olympiacos and Anderlecht to get the signature of the talented Serb who has been bugged with injuries rattling his consistency which has stalled his career.
Markovic who joined Liverpool back in 2014 has never been able to cement his place in the starting eleven at Anfield. The Serbian has been on multiple loan moves to teams like Fenerbache, Sporting CP, Hull City and finally Belgian side Anderlecht where he spent 6 months in last season.
The former Benfica winger has been at Anfield for four years where he had spent most of the time on loan. With the current quality in Jurgen Klopp’s side, it is highly unlikely how Markovic can even make a name for himself even on the bench. The 24-year old has made 32 appearances for the Reds and is looking to make a permanent move out of Merseyside. The winger is set to go out on another loan deal which will see him run down his contract at the Premier League side.
PAOK who has emerged the likely destination for Markovic got knocked out by his former club Benfica in the UEFA Champions League qualifying round. The Greek side had to settle it with UEFA Europa League spot this season where they were drawn in Group L alongside BATE Borisov, Chelsea and Hungarian side MOL Vidi FC.
A move to PAOK will be detrimental for the Serbian winger as this will be the last year of his Liverpool contract and he needs to make the most out of this season to attract more suitors for himself next season. The black and whites were 6 points adrift of the champions AEK Athens last season. So manager Razvan Lucescu is looking to bolster his side to close the gap on the league leaders this season.
The Greek side have also made some renowned additions this season which include Nigerian forward Chuba Akpom. The 22-year-old made his name at Arsenal’s youth academy but failed to break into the first team at North London. Other additions include star midfielder Pontus Wernbloom who made his name at Russian side CSKA Moskva. The Swede will be a pivotal addition for Lucescu this season as he comes with a lot of experience and will look to control the midfield for PAOK.
Latest Update-
It has now been confirmed that the player will be sold to Belgian side Anderlecht in a £2.9m deal in the days to come. He has not really been able to make an impact at Anfield and with the quality that they have, it is best for him to move on and try to revive his career. Jurgen Klopp has one of the best teams in England and Europe at present and staying at the Merseyside wouldn’t really make any sense for him anyways.
