Liverpool midfielder Marko Grujic is a loan target for Championship side Middlesbrough but the chances of a move happening are low, according to the Evening Standard.
The newspaper report that Tony Pulis has identified the Serbia international as a top midfield target this summer but has so far seen his approaches to sign the 22-year-old fall short.
The Standard claim that Boro had previously seen a move to sign Grujic fail in January after he decided to join Cardiff, and his renewed attempts have also been rebuffed.
It is said that Grujic is expected to leave Anfield on loan in the coming weeks, but Liverpool would like him to sign a contract extension first, with a move abroad now looking the likeliest.
OPINION
After news emerged of Grujic rejecting the chance to rejoin Cardiff on loan again this season, it was always expected that he would end up abroad. His success in the south of Wales last season meant that a return to the Cardiff City Stadium was expected to be a no-brainer for the Serbian midfielder, but it did not work out that way. Cardiff boss Neil Warnock claimed that the main issue was contractual, and that is clearly a reference to the Reds seeking an extension before agreeing to any loan exit. Why Grujic would reject an extension is unknown, but it is clear that he must do so before agreeing an exit, so it looks inevitable that he will sign such a deal in the coming days. Middlesbrough unfortunately do not look a likely destination for the youngster despite their efforts to sign him, and a move overseas is now the favoured option for him.
