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Is Ryan Gravenberch a late panic signing or a genuine option for Livepool?
With the arrival of Ryan Gravenberch, Liverpool’s midfield rebuild may finally be complete.
But is it the rebuild many envisioned at the start of the transfer widow?
It started off well with Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai through the door early on for relatively modest fees. The pair joined for a combined £95million with the Reds stealing a march on rivals to sign the talented midfielders.
Things slowed down after that though and with the final piece of the midfield jigsaw seemingly being Gravenberch, the signing has had a lukewarm response. The 21-year-old divides opinion and this is likely why his signing could fall into a number of categories.
Some view it as a panic buy.
After all, most deadline-day purchases are. The Reds have had all summer to pry the former Ajax man away from Bayern Munich but only returned for the versatile midfielder after missing out on other targets.
Liverpool had multiple bids rejected for Romeo Lavia before calling an end to that particular pursuit. They had an offer accepted for Moises Caicedo only for the Ecuador international to opt for a move to Chelsea.
Wataru Endo was then signed from Stuttgart before the 2019/20 Premier League champions finally made their move for Gravenberch having exhausted other avenues.
It could also be viewed as an opportunity that Liverpool couldn’t pass up.
Granted, Gravenberch hasn’t had the best time in Bavaria, he’s still a huge talent who, just a couple of years ago, was being courted by Europe’s elite.
It was considered a coup when Bayern Munich signed him for £16million in the summer of 2022. The talent is still there, it just hasn’t been harnessed properly while in Germany.
Previously, he wasn’t on the market with Bayern keen to keep him but their late interest in Joao Palhinha meant he was now an option, so the Reds made their move.
There’s nothing wrong with reacting to the market.
Jurgen Klopp has experience in helping players get their careers back on track. Liverpool’s model under FSG is doing exactly that.
They did so with Daniel Sturridge and Philippe Coutinho before the German tactician arrived, though it was under Klopp that the latter scaled new heights before his £140million move to Barcelona.
Mohamed Salah was viewed as a Chelsea flop prior to returning to the English top-flight with the Reds. At the time of his signing, many felt Liverpool had overpaid for the right-winger. However, six seasons and 137 Premier League goals later, it is viewed as one of the best deals in the club’s history.
In fact, most signings under Klopp have been queried.
The £34million spent on Sadio Mane was considered by many to be an overpayment at the time. Gini Wijnaldum was called overpriced after joining from Newcastle.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain signed for £35million despite having just 12 months on his deal left at Arsenal. Mane and Wijnaldum were key cogs in a dominant Liverpool side that went on to win everything.
Oxlade-Chamberlain, for a period, was unplayable in midfield and it was clear to everyone that Klopp had a clear plan for the versatile midfielder.
This would well be the case with Gravenberch.
He could be a panic purchase. He would be an opportunistic signing. He could well just be a shrewd addition.
Simply put, the midfield market is chaotic this summer. Caicedo went for £115million despite playing just over 40 games in the Premier League. Lavia went for £55million having racked up just 2,200 minutes in the English top tier.
Chelsea paid £23million for Lesley Ugochukwu, a 19-year-old with just 47 Ligue 1 appearances for Rennes.
It is rumoured that Crystal Palace want in excess of £70million for Cheick Doucoure while Palhinha is reportedly moving to Bayern for close £60million.
Signing a 21-year-old Dutch international, who has experience playing Champions League football, for £36million in this current market is, to be blunt, an incredible bit of business.
Yes, Bayern are making a significant profit on him but they signed him at a discounted rate due to his contract situation. He was a £30million player at the time who they signed for half price.
Just because it is a good piece of business for Bayern doesn’t mean it can’t be a good piece of business for Liverpool.
I don't mind it. pic.twitter.com/r8rmuwCJ6P
— Sam McGuire (@SamMcGuire90) August 31, 2023
The Merseyside club have had Gravenberch on their radar for a number of years now, so they have done their homework. This isn’t a spur-of-the-moment thing.
His versatility makes him an intriguing option for the Reds.
He is extremely malleable and had experience playing multiple roles across a number of positions. While at Ajax, they tried to round him out as a player. He was used across all phases of the pitch. At times he was part of the build-up phase, then if the personnel changed, he was tasked with controlling the tempo in the middle third.
Against Liverpool in the Champions League, he was given license to get forward and he posed a genuine threat. He can do it all but he doesn’t yet excel anywhere. This makes him an intriguing option for the Reds.
Klopp could look to turn him into a specialist in one particular role or he could just as easily continue his all-round development and make him a chameleon, similar to what he did with Wijnaldum.
Gravenberch can make an immediate impact in this team as one of the midfield three, though his arrival gives Klopp the option to return to his Borussia Dortmund tactic - the 4-2-3-1 - as part of a double pivot.
His physical profile should match up well with the rigours of the Premier League. He’s 6ft3, deceptively quick over short distances and fairly robust. He’s already tidy in possession and his use of the ball will only improve once he’s familiarised himself with the Liverpool system.
The 21-year-old has been signed for the now and the future. The potential is there for him to be something truly special in this Liverpool side if he develops into the player the club think he can be.
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