OPINION
West Ham must hijack the reported race for Liverpool midfielder Marko Grujic as every party involved would benefit from a deal.
The 6ft 3in tall (According to: Transfermarkt) midfield colossus has a host of teams interested in him with Cardiff City, Fulham, Atalanta, Lazio and AC Milan all chasing his signature, as reported by Goal.
It is believed that the Reds are keen for Grujic to improve his defensive work and want him to focus on getting better when it comes to awareness, decision-making and discipline.
Jurgen Klopp’s side are also thought be keen on him improving these attributes while playing in the Premier League with the club likely to loan the midfielder out for the 2018/19 season.
The Hammers must offer him a place to go ahead of the other teams in the race as they could help him improve and benefit from having him at the club.
David Moyes found out first hand last season that the Hammers desperately lack depth when it comes to their midfield options and Manuel Pellegrini will be keen to welcome as many midfielders through the door as possible.
Given the fact Grujic is likely to be a loan then his signature wouldn’t take up much of the boss’ transfer kitty.
The 22-year-old proved that he was ready to regularly perform in the Premier League as he looked a level above his opposition when making 13 appearances for Cardiff City in the Championship while on loan with them last season.
Grujic is a tough tackler, consistently wins the ball in the air and fantastically reads the play in order to intercept the ball for his side.
The Hammers need a player exactly like him in their squad ahead of the new season and given his age, he will also add the energetic legs that their midfield currently lacks.
Also from the Reds’ and the player’s perspective having him work with a fantastic experienced manager like Pellegrini will surely see him learn a lot.
The boss, who previously won the Premier League title with Manchester City, could have a massively positive effect on helping the player get to the level needed for him to feature for Liverpool on a regular basis in the near future.
Therefore the Hammers must hijack the race for the sublime player’s services as a deal would benefit all the parties involved.
