Manchester United have reportedly made the first move to sign ex-Liverpool midfielder and FC Porto star Marko Grujic in the summer, as per the Serbian outlet Telegraf.
The 26-year-old joined the Merseyside club back in 2016 from Red Star Belgrade for a fee of around £6m, though never managed to establish himself as a regular starter at Anfield and was sent out on loan several times before making the permanent switch to Porto.
The Serbian international has been enjoying a solid time at the Estadio do Dragao, helping his side in winning the league title and the League Cup last season. After his resurgence at Porto, Grujic has started to catch the attention of big European clubs with Man Utd among those to have registered their interest.
According to the report by Telegraf, Erik ten Hag’s side have already made contact with Porto through intermediaries in order to understand the player’s availability ahead of a potential summer move.
Grujic to Man Utd
However, the report suggests that the Red Devils are likely to face a stern challenge in getting any potential deal done for Grujic as AC Milan are also keen on luring the midfielder to San Siro at the end of this season.
Grujic – valued at around £8m by Transfermarkt – still has three and a half years left in his current contract. So, Porto are in no rush to let their star leave in the upcoming summer window and Man Utd will have to offer a lucrative proposal to persuade Sergio Conceicao’s side in selling the Serbian.
It has widely been suggested that the record Premier League champions are looking to bolster their engine room for next season. They have already been linked with numerous midfielders ahead of the summer window with Grujic now emerging as a new potential target.
The 6ft 2in man is a defensive midfielder who is extremely good in the air, can play threading passes between the lines, is excellent in defensive contributions and also has an eye for long-range passing. So, he could be a useful acquisition for Man Utd and would be able to support Casemiro if the Serbian were to move to Old Trafford this summer.
