Every now and again, a big team will shell out a sizeable fee for a young player who’s dubbed ‘the next Messi’ or something similar. In July 2014 it was Liverpool who forked out £20 million for a 20-year-old by the name of Lazar Markovic, and it was a move that couldn’t have possibly gone any worse.
#LFC are delighted to announce the signing of Benfica forward Lazar Markovic #LazarLFC pic.twitter.com/bP1assvE7k
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) July 15, 2014
The Serbian winger joined Liverpool after a strong season with Benfica that saw him score seven goals and register a further five assists in 49 games as a bit part player, featuring as a starter and off the bench. Whatever Brendan Rodgers saw in the winger quickly disappeared, though, as it didn’t take him long at all to prove that he wasn’t good enough for Liverpool and now it looks like The Reds will never see the £20 million they forked out for him.
Markovic was one of a number of signings made when Liverpool received their Luis Suarez money after selling the Uruguayan to Barcelona. The impact that Suarez’s departure had was catastrophic and after qualifying for the Champions League with him up front, Markovic couldn’t live up to expectations and was sent-off in the Reds decisive group game in Europe as they bowed out at the hands of Basel.
When Rodgers was sacked in October 2015 some fans believed that Jurgen Klopp may be prepared to give the 24-year-old winger a go in the side. We’re now in November 2018 and that still hasn’t happened as the Serbian is yet to feature in a competitive game under Klopp. Four loan spells have been and gone, though, and during his latest loan with Anderlecht, he arrived in such a bad condition that it took him six weeks to get match fit.
Then, things only got worse for Markovic as he refused a permanent move to Anderlecht over the summer and is now rotting alongside the U21s at Melwood. At the age of 24 he still has time to turn his career back around, but there’s no chance he’ll get the opportunity to do that at Anfield, as his only appearance this season came in a Premier league 2 fixture where he started as Arsenal’s U21s ran the young Reds riot, winning 4-0.
Despite all of this, The Kopites were over the moon with Markovic signed and you can read their reaction here:
https://twitter.com/yinnksme/status/489097475811074048
https://twitter.com/LPool_07/status/489103543589031937
@LFC markovic a legend in the making. Walk on!
— the unbearable red scouse (@redscouse2) July 15, 2014
https://twitter.com/ginge_lfc_5/status/488944422999302144
@LFC fantastic signing
— Kim Eidsgaard (@Kimgaard) July 15, 2014
“@LFC: #LFC are delighted to announce the signing of Benfica forward Lazar Markovic #LazarLFC pic.twitter.com/1WA2oVtthg” YESSSSSS!!!
— Brohammad Salah (@TheeSamKnox) 15 July 2014
https://twitter.com/OwainJones07/status/489095555730378753
Yessss Finally @LFC
Welcome To Liverpool FC Lazar Markovic #YNWA— Alcoholic Wizard (@LfcRahul) 15 July 2014
https://twitter.com/Simonnnnn19/status/489092067478761472
@geordietom25 wind up merchant – the lads 20 and boss!
— Michael Brandwood (@mtbrandwood) July 15, 2014
https://twitter.com/Aqvd94/status/489117174515392514
The Reds couldn’t have been more wrong about Markovic when he signed, but to be fair to them, no one would have predicted Markovic to flop the way he did.
