Liverpool could soon be set to make a move for one reported transfer target who, in the words of his former coach, ‘has everything a footballer needs’.
Speaking on the Bayern Insider podcast, German football journalist Christian Falk said that the Reds are now ‘ready to move’ for Ryan Gravenberch, whose links with the Merseyside club go all the way back to the spring months.
It’s believed that the 21-year-old could be pursued once another long-running pursuit, namely Romeo Lavia, reaches a conclusion one way or the other.
With Southampton having already rejected two bids for their Belgian midfielder, Liverpool could potentially revive their latent interest in Gravenberch as the summer transfer deadline draws ever nearer.
Letting the window pass without any further midfield additions would be downright negligent from the Anfield hierarchy, and with the clock ticking towards 1 September, the Reds appear to be casting a wider net in their desperation to replace Fabinho and Jordan Henderson.
The Dutchman – who according to FBref is stylistically similar to Alexis Mac Allister, Jude Bellingham and Khephren Thuram – was given a ringing endorsement by his then-Bayern Munich boss Julian Nagelsmann last year, with him saying that the 21-year-old ‘has everything a footballer needs’ (Football Oranje).
Gravenberch – who posted a 100% dribble success rate and won two tackles in a half-hour appearance against Liverpool last week (Sofascore) – would give Jurgen Klopp an option in the number 6 or 8 role (Transfermarkt), a versatility the Reds manager is sure to value greatly.
He could come relatively cheaply too, with reports back in April mentioning a prospective £25m fee (GOAL), so he’s definitely worth an approach irrespective of what happens with Lavia this month.
#Ep83 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Neil Jones
We’ll have to get a bigger dressing room for all the people we are supposedly going to buy
Not med by Gravenberch myself. Had a poor last season and was poor for his U212 national team. We have better prospects from our own youth ranks.