Transfer insider Dean Jones has identified one Bundesliga player who’d be Jurgen Klopp’s ‘dream signing’ for Liverpool this summer.
Alexis Mac Allister has already come through the door, and a hectic few months are expected at Anfield as the Reds attempt to overhaul their squad ahead of the 2023/24 season.
Among the numerous midfield targets being mentioned in transfer dispatches is Ryan Gravenberch of Bayern Munich, who – as Jacque Talbot pointed out in an exclusive with Empire of the Kop – has been ‘linked with Liverpool for a long time’.
In an article for GIVEMESPORT, Jones replied when asked about ‘one dream signing’ for the Reds this summer: “Gravenberch is one that Klopp has had his eye on for a while and his traits in the centre of the park would be ideal to bringing this side a sense of connection that was missing last season.
“He is only 21 but his technical ability combined with positional awareness would be perfectly suited to how Klopp would aim to mould him.”
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Among the ‘traits’ that Jones referenced in relation to Gravenberch, his dribbling ability and attacking nous stand out.
As per WhoScored, the Dutch midfielder completed 2.2 dribbles and took 1.6 shots per game in his final Eredivisie campaign with Ajax before his move to Bayern last summer, where he’s been largely restricted to substitute appearances.
For comparison, no Liverpool player matched him for the former metric, while among the Reds’ midfield regulars in 2022/23, Harvey Elliott had the best shooting average with 1.1 per match (WhoScored).
These figures suggest that Gravenberch could give Klopp’s side a greater dynamism from the middle of the park, while a scout report from Breaking The Lines in 2021 also detailed his ‘very impressive awareness of the pitch’, backing up the attribute mentioned by Jones.
Transfer rumours surrounding the 21-year-old appear to have cooled of late, with other names like Khephren Thuram, Manu Kone and Gabri Veiga featuring more prominently, but don’t be surprised to see the Bayern midfielder coming to the fore again throughout the summer.