Liverpool midfielder Marko Grujic will rejoin Hertha Berlin for another season.
Grujic spent the previous campaign on loan with the Bundesliga side but they faced competition from Frankfurt, where the player’s agent has several clients.
Brighton had also expressed an interest in signing the 23-year-old as they look to consolidate their Premier League standing over the forthcoming campaign.
However the Reds have confirmed that Grujic is set to return to the Olympiastadion despite still featuring in Jurgen Klopp’s long-term plans.
The European champions are set to earn £2 million from Grujic’s return to the German capital while Hertha will also cover his wages during the loan period.
A further £500,000 could be payable to Liverpool should certain bonus clauses be met during the Serbia international’s second season-long stint.
Klopp made Grujic his first signing in the Anfield hot seat back in 2016 but is yet to incorportate him in the club’s first-team plans due to an overstocked midfield.
Liverpool’s current pecking order for the new season includes captain Jordan Henderson, Naby Keita and a rejuvenated Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Ex-Hertha manager Pal Dardai lavished praise on Grujic, hailing him as ‘by far the best midfielder’ he had witnessed during his 22 years with the club.
Grujic previously spent a loan spell with Cardiff City, where he was part of the side which secured promotion back to the Premier League back in 2017/18.