Back in 2014, then-Premier League boss Avram Grant considered a 19-year-old Liverpool player to be bettered only by Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi for his age group, but it’s safe to say that early promise never quite followed its rose-tinted trajectory. Seven years later, the youngster in question has all but fallen off the face of football.

It was during that time that the Reds were still navigating – though very precariously, to say the least – their wilderness years. Everything good that came during that period was built on hope, only to be later undone by reality, as they would go on to spend 30 years without a league title, coming within arm’s reach of ending that hoodoo under Brendan Rodgers that very year, before selling Luis Suárez to Barcelona.

Filling his shoes was always going to be a difficult task. But Liverpool’s hierarchy were confident they had used the £65 million windfall they received wisely to keep the fight for silverware alive. Yet, while their hopes rested on the shoulders of a teenager tipped to become an all-time great (and a certain Mario Balotelli), the 32-year-old’s current predicament casts a harsh light on just how far he strayed from meeting his ceiling.

Liverpool Wonderkid Compared to Messi & Ronaldo in 2014

Lazar Markovic sealed a £20million move to Anfield from Benfica when Brendan Rodgers was in charge in 2014. Speaking about the then-youngster at the time, former Chelsea and West Ham boss Grant spoke highly of the player. Having helped oversee some of his development at Partizan Belgrade prior to him joining Benfica, the journeyman tactician spared no expense in his praise:

In the end, Markovic scored just three goals in 34 senior appearances for the Reds during his five-year stay on Merseyside. During that time, he also spent loan spells at Fenerbahce, Sporting CP, Hull City and Anderlecht before joining Fulham on a free transfer in January 2019.

Despite his limited impact for Liverpool, former teammate Kolo Toure also spoke highly of the player’s character. Not long after his move from Lisbon in 2014, the Ivorian was quick to praise what he had seen – though since then, the decline has only gathered pace, sliding from bad to worse and ultimately towards rock bottom.

Markovic Now Free Agent After Being Released By Apollon Limassol

After joining Fulham midway through the 2018/19 campaign, Markovic failed to earn a new deal at Craven Cottage. He instead moved back to Belgrade with Partizan that summer, where he enjoyed a brief resurgence over the next three seasons. It was with his Serbian boyhood club that he managed 34 goals and 31 assists in 154 total outings.

As reported by the Liverpool Echo, though, Markovic – two years the wrong side of 30 – is available once again after it was confirmed he’s left Apollon Limassol following the expiration of his latest one-year deal. The winger has had four clubs in the past four years since joining Gaziantep in the summer of 2022 and is even considered CEO Michael Edwards’ biggest transfer regret at Anfield.

Tottenham have had a busy start to the summer transfer window, and their early business doesn’t look like stopping any time soon.

The Lilywhites have already confirmed the signing of left-back Andy Robertson from Liverpool and are expected to announce the capture of centre-back Marcos Senesi from Bournemouth imminently, with both deals free transfers.

Spurs desperately need a strong summer after narrowly avoiding relegation from the Premier League last season and back-to-back 17th place finishes in the English top-flight.

Reinforcements in defence appears to be the priority for Roberto De Zerbi at this moment in time, and the Italian is reportedly seeking another defender after the additions of Robertson and Senesi.

Tottenham in the race for Roma defender

According to Transferfeed, Tottenham are showing interest in Roma defender Evan Ndicka, alongside Inter Milan and Marseille, after an impressive season in Serie A. Additionally, the centre-back is reportedly being valued at around 35 million euros (£30.2m).

The six-foot-four defender played 42 times for Roma last term as Gian Piero Gasperini’s team finished third in the Italian top-flight, qualifying for the Champions League.

Following his arrival in Italy from Frankfurt in 2023, Ndicka has become one of the best centre-backs in Serie A, earning praise from former bosses Jose Mourinho and Claudio Ranieri, with the latter labelling the Frenchman as a “warrior”.

It is no surprise that De Zerbi has been quick to bring in two experienced defenders this early into the summer after Tottenham’s woeful defensive record last season. Only the three relegated clubs conceded more goals in the Premier League than their 57.

Tottenham Need Ndicka

In Ndicka, Spurs would be signing a defender whose stock is continuously rising, but is still “underrated” according to European football expert Andy Brassell.

There is no doubt that, should the price tag prove to be in the region of 35 million euros, Tottenham would be able to afford the Frenchman. However, the lack of European football could hold them back in their pursuit.

Both Inter and Marseille are also reportedly showing interest in the 26-year-old and will be competing in the Champions League and Europa League respectively next campaign, while Spurs won’t have European football to offer. Roma will also play in Europe’s elite competition.

Tottenham need further additions in defence but they may have to look elsewhere if Ndicka’s priority is to continue competing in European competition next season.

Across his career, Pep Guardiola has worked with some brilliant players. The likes of Lionel Messi, Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Robert Lewandowski, Philipp Lahm, Sergio Aguero, and Kevin De Bruyne all spring to mind.

As he has spent the last decade in the Premier League as manager of Manchester City, the Catalan coach has also spent time with some fantastic British talent. For example – after the pair won six league titles, the Champions League, two FA Cups and the League Cup on four occasions together – he dubbed Kyle Walker as ‘one of the greatest’ defenders of all time.

Just a matter of months ago, he called another Three Lions star an ‘incredible diamond’. Despite that glowing endorsement, that man in question has not been called up for the 2026 World Cup squad.

Guardiola Praised ‘Most Talented’ English Player

Phil Foden was one of the hottest prospects in the Man City academy when Guardiola took over, and the iconic manager quickly noticed that. Indeed, speaking in 2017, he said of the then-teenager: “Phil is the most, most, most talented player I have ever seen in my career as a manager. He has everything to become one of the best players.”

Fast-forward to December 2025, and Foden was pushing for a spot in the England squad amid a good run of form. He’d been featured in Tuchel’s team for November’s World Cup qualifying wins over Serbia and Albania, and Guardiola was singing the players’ praises.

He claimed he was ‘incredible’ and a ‘diamond’ after Foden stole headlines with a goal and an assist against Sunderland. Guardiola said:

At the time, Foden had scored five goals in his last three games and it looked as though he would be on his way to the World Cup that summer. However, the rest of the season did not go to plan.

Foden Failed to Land a Spot in England’s 2026 World Cup Squad

Speaking less than a month earlier in November, Guardiola urged Foden to prove he is good enough for England’s 2026 World Cup squad. He said: “England is so lucky to have a mountain of good players – so in this position, there are a lot, and that’s why Phil has to push himself to be better and better.

“He has to say: ‘OK, I’m going to show how good I am.’ Thomas knows perfectly how good Phil is and I’m sure he will do the best for your country.”

But after that flurry of form in the winter, Foden’s levels dropped off. He didn’t score a single goal for the club in the entirety of 2026, and picked up just three assists in that time as well, as City lost out on the league title to rivals Arsenal.

Such poor form meant few were surprised when Tuchel snubbed the 26-year-old from his England squad. Indeed, Foden has not added to his 49 England caps (four goals and 10 assists) since he failed to impress in two March friendlies against Uruguay and Japan, which England drew and then lost.

There is no doubt that Foden and Guardiola enjoyed many brilliant years together, with the midfielder instrumental to some of those six Premier League titles. However, his form over the past few seasons has been worrying.

With the Catalan coach now leaving the Etihad, it will be interesting to see what becomes of one of his most talented former players.