Lazar Markovic says that the £20m fee Liverpool paid for him is not a burden despite his young age.

The 20-year-old winger arrived from Benfica earlier this summer after establishing himself as one of Europe’s top up-and-coming players.

Chelsea were linked with him, but the Reds swooped to activate the release clause in his contract to lure him to England from Lisbon – where he has spent just one season following a switch from Partizan Belgrade in his homeland, Serbia.

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Although he is one of the club’s marquee arrivals Kopites are yet to witness their man in action, with a hamstring injury suffered on the American pre-season tour having prevented him from featuring in their Premier League-opening win against Southampton.

With his recovery well on track, Markovic could make his competitive bow for the Merseysiders against champions Manchester City on Monday, and he is adamant that the big fee paid for him is not a source of concern for him:

“I’m not afraid of challenges,” he is quoted by the Liverpool Echo.

“I’m not the most expensive signing of the summer but even if I were I wouldn’t care much about that.

“I’ve never thought about anything in relation to money. I’ve never cared about or done anything for money in my personal or my professional life.

“What does it even mean to be more expensive than others? It absolutely doesn’t matter. The pitch, not the money, is the measure of everyone’s worth in football.

“I believe Liverpool fans expect a lot from me, and to be honest I expect a lot from myself. The same applies for the people who worked hard to bring me here.

“I do not have any fear or stage fright whatsoever. To tell you the truth, I can’t wait to start playing for Liverpool.”

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