Liverpool have agreed to send 21-year-old Serbian flyer Lazar Markovic on loan to the Turkish Super League, the Echo reports.
The young winger is currently in Istanbul for talks with Fenerbahce, who will pay 100% of the player’s wages for the duration of the loan spell.
Markovic arrived from Benfica last summer, but for whatever reason, has failed to establish himself on Merseyside, despite his obvious talent. Brendan Rodgers used him predominantly at right wing-back in 2014/15 when he was selected, and the attacker struggled to truly impress. He was barely given a chance during pre-season either, with Jordon Ibe climbing ahead of him in the pecking order and starting our first two matches of this Premier League season. Markovic has yet to make the bench, and with a European Championship set to take place in France next summer, you can understand his desire to leave.
We’ve also loaned Mario Balotelli to AC Milan, meaning £36m of purchased talent from summer 2014 could be leant to other clubs this campaign – confirming the fact they were clearly poor purchases.
The Echo confirms that Rodgers still rates Markovic (unlike Balotelli who will never play for Liverpool again…), and that he hopes first-team football will see him return to Anfield in 2016 a better, more rounded player.
With Adam Lallana injured, we’ll be leaving ourselves a little short in attacking midfield – with Coutinho, Roberto Firmino and Jordon Ibe the only available options for three positions.
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