Liverpool are considering a late swoop for Marko Pjaca despite the winger reportedly being on the cusp of joining Serie A champions Juventus.
Marko Pjaca has been heralded as the next Croatian sensation. The winger made his senior league debut in the Croatian league with Lokomotiv Zagreb at the age of just 16. He began attracting interest due to his impressive tally of seven goals in his second full season with the club in 2013-14, and was immediately signed by the reigning champions Dinamo Zagreb for a fee rumoured to be around €1m.
The youngster continued to flourish in the Prva HNL as he finished his debut season with the champions with 14 goals in 47 appearances in all competitions, which included a hat-trick against Scottish heavyweights Celtic in the Europa League. His contribution proved massive as the Croatian club did a domestic double, winning their 10th league title handsomely and the Croatian Football Cup on penalties. Pjaca’s tally of 12 goals in 42 appearances in all competitions in the 2015-16 season caught the eye of clubs in Europe’s top five leagues.
The winger made his senior international debut for Croatia at the age of 19 and has since gone on to make 10 appearances for his nation. He was also a part of the Croatian national team at the Euros, but failed to have an impact in the 101 minutes of playing time he received in France.
Benfica, Manchester United and Inter Milan were reportedly in a tussle to sign Marko Pjaca this summer. There was reported interest from Liverpool as well, with the Reds having a bid rejected for the Croatian.. Juventus and AC Milan were also revealed as potential suitors by his agent in an interview to itasportpress, with the Bianconeri in particular reported be close to signing the 21-year-old.
Fresh reports from Italian publication calciomercato claim that Liverpool are preparing a last-minute bid to hijack the Old Lady’s move for the winger. The report states that the recent surge in interest from Liverpool is in part due to the uncertainty revolving around the Pietr Zielinski deal. Pjaca is an alternative in case the Poland international decides to move elsewhere. Jurgen Klopp would also be looking at the winger’s ability to find the back of the net to compensate for the lack of goals from his striking department.
The 21-year-old has some experience in European football, having played both in the Champions League and the Europa League, and would be a handy addition to both Juventus and Liverpool. Juventus were thought to be favourites for a deal to sign Marko Pjaca from Dinamo Zagreb but this late swoop from Liverpool may put a spanner in the works.
Pjaca may still opt for the Serie A champions instead of Liverpool but it looks like the player’s transfer to Juventus may not be as much of a certainty as was previously believed.
