Despite an injury-plagued loan with Hertha Berlin, Marko Grujic has won a great many admirers this season - to the point where he has emerged as a target for Atletico Madrid.

Indeed, on Merseyside it's suggested Liverpool spy a chance to raise some extra transfer funds setting a price of £40m for Grujic to leave. In the meantime, the 23 year-old continues to earn praise thanks to his impact in the Bundesliga.

Here's what some of the identities who have come in contact with Grujic have to say about the Serbian midfielder:

MICHAEL PREETZ (Hertha BSC GM): "Marko is the symbiosis of the defensive and offensive player we've been looking for - with a touch of offensive quality.

"He has a natural talent, is instinctively right-sided and is a very, very good footballer. He has a wonderful game and we should be happy seeing him play a season for us - and not think about things that much before the summer."

VEDAD IBISEVIC (Hertha BSC striker): "I do not know what Liverpool is up to regarding him. But he feels very happy in Berlin. That can be an important factor. I can imagine he could stay longer."

FABIAN LUSTENBERGER (Hertha BSC defender): "Marko brings everything. Offensive quality, defensive stability, strong brains, footballing elements - he has a lot to offer in order to fulfill all the criteria you need as a central midfielder, and we are happy to have him fit and healthy again."

PAL DARDAI (Hertha BSC coach): “I've never had a midfielder like Marko Grujic before. For me, he's the new Stefan Effenberg.

“He was tall, too, but very safe on the ball despite that, and he always knew when to calm down the team, when to go into a duel and when to move forward. You either have that ability or you don't."

NEIL WARNOCK (Cardiff City manager): “I think he's got more strengths to his bow. He's made us play a bit more, he's got quite good vision and he's been very good in the air for us as well so he's growing into it."

DEJAN LOVREN (Liverpool): "He did not play much here because he is still young, so it was the right thing to go on loan where he will have minutes.

"It's a huge step to leave the Serbian league for the Premier League. I hope he will be ready for next season to play an important role here because I know that (manager Jurgen) Klopp thinks about him when he is thinking about the future."

SLAVISE KOKEZE (Serbian Football Federation president): "I know Marko very well from Zvezda and his dad I think of his father being honest and an honest man and he knows well that I said then that I believe that it was a big mistake going from Red Star to Liverpool because at that moment he was not good enough to be a standard player in Liverpool.

"Grujic's father agreed and also thought that this was a mistake - but he chose that path..."

PAL DARDAI (again): "I've been at Hertha for 22 years. This isn't meant as an insult to anyone else, but Marko is by far the best midfielder I've seen in my time at the club.

"I was a defensive midfielder and managed to score 17 goals, which isn't bad. But Marko carries much more of a goal threat, he's got a sensational shot on him and is much better than I was [...] He can play anywhere in midfield.

"He's got so much potential, and you can see that out on the pitch. He's so robust in the middle of the park, but he can still play. He's good in the air, he wins tackles and has got such a strong desire to win. I can only say: 'respect'."