Marko Grujic has left Liverpool to join Porto on loan for the rest of the season.
The midfielder was close to joining Werder Bremen on transfer deadline day after initial interest from Borussia Monchengladbach.
But the Bundesliga side could not afford the fee the Reds wanted for a permanent deal.
It had appeared as though Grujic would be staying on Merseyside following the close of the transfer window on Monday evening.
However, with some European nations still able to trade, Portuguese giants Porto made their move on Tuesday with the loan of Danilo Pereira to Paris Saint-Germain opening up a spot in their squad.
Liverpool were always open to offloading Grujic given their strength in depth in midfield.
The club had initially been adamant that a loan deal was out of the question, but with the window closed for the majority of Europe, keeping Grujic to play Under-23 football made little sense for any party and a season-long switch was sanctioned.
The ECHO understands Porto’s contact was sudden - but talks progressed quickly when it became clear they wanted Grujic.
The 24-year-old was immediately believed to be keen on a move to Estadio do Dragao given they can offer him a place in the first-team squad and Champions League football.
Liverpool were happy to loan Grujic to Porto rather than having him way down the pecking order for Jurgen Klopp.
The Reds may feel they have a better chance of earning a sum for the player if he is performing well at a top European club rather than sitting in the ranks of the U23 setup.
However, there is no obligation for Porto to buy at the end of the deal.
After two terms with Hertha Berlin and a separate spell with Cardiff City on loan, Liverpool have agreed to let the combative Serbian move on once more.
Grujic will join up with Porto after Serbia’s three international fixtures against Norway, Hungary and Turkey.
*Is it the right move to let Grujic go? Have your say in the comments section.
