The 20-year-old had been on Liverpool’s shortlist last summer, along with Aurelien Tchouameni, Enzo Fernandez, Nicolo Barella, and Jude Bellingham.
Bayern swooped in and signed Gravenberch from Ajax
Ryan Gravenberch, the Dutch international midfielder, is excited at the prospect of reviving his career at Liverpool, following strong interest from the club in securing his services from Bayern Munich. The 20-year-old had been on Liverpool’s shortlist last summer, along with Aurelien Tchouameni, Enzo Fernandez, Nicolo Barella, and Jude Bellingham. However, Bayern swooped in and signed Gravenberch from Ajax, but he has been used sparingly by the Bundesliga club, with Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka preferred in midfield. Gravenberch’s representative, Rafaela Pimenta, explored loan options for the player in January, but Bayern were unwilling to allow him to leave in the winter transfer window. Liverpool’s interest in the young midfielder was renewed at the turn of the year, with the club engaging with Gravenberch’s father, Ryan Sr, who is his son’s career advisor.
Gravenberch is just one of several midfield options the club is exploring
Bayern had been willing to loan Marcel Sabitzer from RB Leipzig instead of Gravenberch, and with the Bavarian club set to add Konrad Laimer to their squad this summer, they are open to selling Gravenberch for a fee of £20m, plus add-ons, in order to recoup their investment and make a small profit. While Bayern has publicly stated that they are not willing to listen to offers for Gravenberch, they are unable to offer him regular playing time, and his representatives are working on a solution. Liverpool is not the only club interested in Gravenberch, but they have made a head start on their recruitment objectives, aware of the competition they will face for targets this summer, as they plan a rebuild of their squad. Gravenberch is just one of several midfield options the club is exploring, with at least one defensive signing also expected.
Ryan has shades of Paul Pogba’s game
Gravenberch is an excellent attacking midfielder who understands the value of hard work. Physically imposing, he is agile, an elite ball carrier and receiver, and is comfortable playing in any midfield position. He has primarily operated on the left side of a double pivot but is active in the final third and is an excellent link-up player. A progressive passer who is adept at instigating play in the build-up phase, he uses his body cleverly to protect possession and disguise his passing intentions.
Gravenberch’s ability to shield the ball, roll his marker, and drive into space has been noted by Bayern’s new coach, Thomas Tuchel, who has praised the youngster’s “excellent dribbling skills.” Brian Tevreden, who promoted Gravenberch to the Ajax U15s when he was just 12 years old, believes that the young midfielder has shades of Paul Pogba’s game. “Physically, I see Frank Rijkaard because he’s tall and very strong. But technically, I would say he’s a better version of Pogba in his best days at Juventus, in terms of his technique and his presence on the pitch,” Tevreden said. “He’s very dominant like Pogba was, and that’s what I see in Ryan.”
Gravenberch has significant tournament experience at the international level, having made impressive performances in the Champions League, and has close to a century of senior appearances at the tender age of 20. He is also a natural leader on the pitch, and his desire to return to playing regularly is understandable. He is currently experiencing a difficult season at Bayern, where he has struggled to secure regular playing time, but he remains mentally strong and is determined to succeed with the Bavarian club.