After a nuclear apocalypse, the only two things left standing will be cockroaches and Lazar Markovic in a Liverpool training top.
Markovic has proven himself almost impossible to offload.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp thought that he’d finally managed to recoup some of the £20 million that was splashed out on Markovic during Brendan Rodgers’ tenure but it wasn’t to be.
A fee was agreed with Anderlecht, the club at which Markovic spent the second half of last season, and the winger travelled to Belgium on Friday to sign the contract which would bring an end to four miserable years at Anfield.
But the transfer deadline came and went without a signature from the 24-year-old and reports soon emerged that Markovic had a late change of heart and refused to agree to personal terms.
It seems like bad news for all parties because Markovic, who has entered the final year of his contract, will continue without playing time with the Reds, Liverpool are now looking at losing the player for far less than £2.9 million in January or for free next summer and Anderlecht missed out on a player they clearly deemed important.
“Our president and sports director did everything to convince Markovic,” Anderlecht manager Hein Vanhaezebrouck said.
“They waited until Liverpool lowered the price. They almost made a crazy effort for the player, but it wasn’t enough. It’s his own fault that the deal fell through.”
Markovic hasn’t featured for Liverpool since May 2015 and that doesn’t look like changing any time soon.
