Ryan Gravenberch has settled into life on Merseyside steadily, and it would seem that his strong early involvement in attacking play supports that.
In the 2-0 victory over Union SG on Thursday night, the midfielder scored his first goal for the team since joining for £38.5 million from Bayern Munich in the summer.
He became the first player at the club to do so since Jordon Ibe over ten years ago by contributing two assists in each of his first two starts, which came against LASK and Leicester.
With his goal against the Belgian team, Gravenberch has advanced one step closer to being the first Liverpool player since Milan Baros in 2002 to have goal involvements in each of his first three starts.
Along with strikes against West Brom and Basel, that streak also included a pair of goals on the opening day away at Bolton.
The 21-year-old credited regular “minutes” as the secret to settling in so fast and hailed it as a “super good” feeling to open his account at Anfield.
Gravenberch, who made just two league starts for the team in 2022–23, quit the Bundesliga champions this summer owing to dissatisfaction with his lack of engagement.
The Dutchman has established himself as a consistent member of Jurgen Klopp’s rotating midfield, which has so far this season been used in the Europa League and League Cup.
Although Gravenberch has not yet been named to a Premier League team roster, he appears to be enjoying himself at Anfield, and the fact that he is contributing to the goals will help him no end in winning over the fans.
In talking about the performance against Union SG, Klopp called the midfielder’s talent “obvious,” adding that his strong start is pointing him “in the right direction.”
The Reds’ next opponent is Brighton, and Gravenberch has made a strong case to be involved from the opening whistle at the Amex Stadium.
As part of a big renovation of the middle of the park in the summer, Liverpool signed four midfield additions, which sparked strong competition in that position.
Gravenberch hopes to revitalise his career at Anfield after attracting the attention of several elite clubs while playing for Ajax.