Ljubinko Drulovic, in caretaker charge of the national side, believes an imminent switch to Anfield will be of considerable benefit to the 20-year-old winger

Caretaker Serbia coach Ljubinko Drulovic believes that Lazar Markovic’s expected transfer to Liverpool can help him become one of Europe’s elite players.

The 20-year-old is widely anticipated to join the Reds from Portuguese champions Benfica after the Premier League club reportedly activated his £25 million release clause.

The Serbia international winger, who made his debut as a 17-year-old against Armenia in 2012, only arrived in Portugal at the start of the 2013-14 season after joining Benfica on a five-year deal from Partizan Belgrade.

Despite the youngster’s spending just one season in the Primeira Liga, Drulovic – interim coach of the national team following Sinisa Mihajlovic’s decision to take charge of Sampdoria in November – says that Markovic’s proposed move to Anfield is the right decision for his career.

“Markovic had an excellent season at Benfica last year, he evolved a lot,” he told Radio Renascenca.

“It’ll be good for him and Benfica. Going to a very strong league will help him even more to become a major player worldwide.

“He’s 20 years old and has a long time to play. Markovic could prove to become a very important player in Europe.”

Markovic enjoyed a successful debut campaign for Benfica, scoring seven goals in all competitions as Jorge Jesus’s men claimed a domestic treble and reached the Europa League final.