Many Liverpool fans just can't comprehend that Lazar Markovic is still at their club.

You can't exactly blame them, either. It's now been half a decade since the highly touted Serbian swapped Benfica or Anfield and was given 34 appearances throughout his debut campaign.

However, his time in the first-team did little to impress Brendan Rodgers and it sparked a series of loans that saw him feature at Fenerbahce, Sporting Lisbon, Hull City and Anderlecht.

As a result, Markovic has been limited to appearances in pre-season and it looked for all intents and purposes that Jurgen Klopp would secure a permanent move for him last summer.

The saga didn't end there, though, with a move to Anderlecht falling through at the last minute and Markovic deciding to spend at least the next four months on Merseyside.

Markovic in Liverpool limbo

It was a brave decision and one that left him limbo at the club, with little indication of an exit until the end of the season.

Markovic has been relegated to the youth teams and has made appearances for the U23 side on an irregular basis.

Manager Neil Critchley has been largely positive about the Serbian's performances and he even bagged a rare goal during the win over Arsenal U23 in December. 

Journalist's Markovic verdict

However, there was less to shout about during his latest appearance against West Brom U23, with Markovic playing the full 90 minutes in a 1-1 draw.

The 24-year-old passed through the game without any goal involvement but freelance journalist Matt Addison - who was present for the match - just had to give his verdict on the exiled player.

"Lazar Markovic, extradited from the first team and now rarely spotted, played the whole 90 minutes but failed to make much of an impact," Addison began in his match report.

"The Serbian clearly has talent on the ball, but off it hardly tracked his man once and physically looks below par even at youth level.

"If this was Markovic putting himself in the shop window, it perhaps shows why he remains at the club despite being available for at least the last two years.

"He will move on in the summer but which club will take him remains a mystery."

Ouch. 

So, it's pretty safe to say that Markovic is struggling and even featuring against younger players isn't helping to turn things around.

Given the hype around him before his Liverpool career came to a halt, there will still be suitors throughout the summer, but the queue of clubs will certainly have decreased.

Like Addison notes, Markovic clearly has the talent but he's running out of time to capitalise on it.

Do you think Markovic could still make it in the Premier League? Have your say in the comments section below.