No one will be more delighted at the fact Liverpool secured a long-term target in Ryan Gravenberch than Jurgen Klopp.
The Merseysiders secured their fourth midfielder of the summer window after a change of position from Bayern Munich, with Thomas Tuchel keen to bring in a No.6 and part ways with the Dutchman in the process.
Speaking about the transfer, journalist Steve Kay admitted he himself ‘got a few goosebumps’ at the deal, noting that the former Ajax man had been a top choice for the Reds’ German tactician.
“I’ve got a few goosebumps out of the excitement of seeing this player [at Liverpol].” the Football Transfers reported told Empire of the Kop on the EOTK Insider show.
“When you do follow a transfer for a long while and, along the way you get told ‘you’re wrong, it’s not Gravenberch, he’s not the guy’, but you know what’s going to happen, you know what’s coming, it’s always great.
Kay went on to add: “I’m doubly excited to see Ryan Gravenberch play for obvious reasons.
“Followed him a long while before Liverpool, in his days at Ajax and his infamous days at Bayern.
“Great to see him signed, great to see him put pen to paper, great to see Klopp get his man – he was always his number 1 choice.”
A late registration meant the 21-year-old missed out on the possibility of a cameo in the convincing 3-0 win over Aston Villa, though fans should be able to catch a glimpse this Saturday when Liverpool take on Wolves at the Molineux Stadium.
READ MORE: Liverpool defender now suffers cruel injury setback; he’ll be out longer than expected
READ MORE: ‘Ready’: Neil Jones reacts to huge news coming out of Liverpool this afternoon
Though many had hoped to see us land a young but ready holding midfielder capable of filling the Fabinho-sized hole in the squad, there’s still plenty of reason to feel excited about what Gravenberch has to offer.
A technically gifted midfielder with a tall frame, some could be forgiven for thinking the Dutch international has the physical attributes necessary to fill that particular gap.
Registering in the 69th and 73rd percentiles for tackles and interceptions, according to FBref, however, suggests our coaching staff will have their work cut out to transform him into a reliable, world-class operator in the No.6 role.
Indeed, it’s unclear whether this is the route Klopp has planned for his latest signing in the short-term, especially given the arrival of former Stuttgart skipper Wataru Endo at the club.
Whatever the case, there’s no doubt that Gravenberch has a broad enough skillset to make an impact both from deep and higher up the pitch, with a 96th percentile rank in shot-creating actions the standout stat from FBref.
#Ep90 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Steve Kay – Goncalo Inacio NEXT?🎙️