Ryan Gravenberch seems to be the midfielder Liverpool wanted to bring in this summer who was least well-liked by everyone.
Some people were vehemently opposed to a transfer to Anfield, in fact.
The Dutchman had a very high reputation when playing at Ajax, and many people considered him and Jude Bellingham to be the best young midfielders of their generation. However, a summer 2022 transfer to Bayern Munich didn’t proceed as planned.
Only starting three Bundesliga games in his one year in Germany, Gravenberch was forced to settle for little more than a bit-part role, underscoring his lack of possibilities.
Even though he still entered the game 21 times as a substitute, he was never able to entirely win over fans at the Allianz Arena. Earlier this year, it was made plain that he was welcome to quit the club because there seemed to be concerns about his attitude.
Since Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai were both hailed as terrific additions, there wasn’t the same amount of excitement when Liverpool announced the signing of the 21-year-old back in early September.
Many felt Gravenberch’s style of play wasn’t necessarily compatible with Jurgen Klopp’s, while others thought the team didn’t need another “number eight” and that it was a dangerous move that would backfire.
The latter point had merit, and with Mac Allister serving as the centre of the park’s anchor, Liverpool does still appear open and unbalanced, but there is still no denying that the midfield makeover has been a huge success thus far.
Gravenberch, who initially had to bide his time in terms of minutes, is now beginning to thrive in a Liverpool jersey, and his performance in the team’s 2-0 victory over Everton on Saturday was cause for celebration.
Even though the Reds never played their best against their neighbourhood rivals, after the game was over, their newest addition was a strong candidate for Man of the Match.
Gravenberch, who was given his first Premier League start, took the most of Curtis Jones’ absence by putting on an outstanding first half of play that was filled with intelligence and natural talent.
Gravenberch appeared completely at home in the left-sided midfield position. He showed quick feet in confined spaces, made smart decisions with the ball, and covered ground in a way that others utterly failed to do last season.
Liverpool now has tall, athletic players in midfield who can dominate in and out of possession, as opposed to having to watch Fabinho and Jordan Henderson toil away and get outrun by opponents week in and week out.
Gravenberch produced three interceptions, one tackle and an astonishing 97% of his passes against Everton at home, which is remarkable in any match, let alone a tense Merseyside derby and a match you have never played in before.
He was fouled three times as the visitors struggled to control him, and there was the minor matter of winning five of his seven ground duels against the Blues.
The fact that Gravenberch even outperformed the fantastic Szoboszlai in the first 45 minutes, something no other Liverpool midfielder has done so far this season, is perhaps the highest accolade you can pay him. There was a buzz of anticipation and excitement each time he possessed the ball.
To be fair, he slowed down a bit after the break, which came as no real surprise – how effective was Harvey Elliott once more coming off the bench? but this was his most impressive performance to date while wearing a Liverpool jersey.
It is evident that Liverpool have a rare signing in their ranks; one who simply needs to be fine-tuned by the correct manager. There is a reason why Klopp was so keen on signing Gravenberch, even when the social media ‘experts’ told him not to.
If his demeanour and temperament at Bayern were questioned, there are no indications that they are now, and in Klopp, he couldn’t ask for a better manager when it comes to bringing the most out of him.
The only thing standing in the way of Gravenberch developing into a magnificent football player is himself. All the elements are in place for this to happen.
Due to his height and general physique, it is simple to overlook the fact that he is only 21 years old, making him only 11 months Elliott’s senior. As a result, he has plenty of time to learn his craft and develop into a full player over the course of the next ten to fifteen years.
Even so, there is no certainty that he will start for Liverpool every week. Jones was an important player until getting sent off against Tottenham, Mac Allister might move up the pitch at some point, and Elliott is also vying for more regular playing time.
But what we saw at Anfield over the weekend was a man who exuded class, had all the technical and physical skills to succeed for the Reds, was part of a new midfield with a lot of quality, and who we hope will stay on Merseyside for a long time.
Although it is still early and there is room for growth, whether it be strategically or physically, Liverpool may have found yet another gem to add to their roster of brilliant acquisitions.
The recent assertion that Gravenberch is “better” than Bellingham in “everything” he does by former Netherlands star Rafael Van Der Vaart only serves to whet the public’s thirst.
Even while such statement may be exaggerated, it is true that the opposition voices from the summer are becoming quieter by the week.