The talented midfielder for Liverpool is still a target for his boss.
Ryan Gravenberch, a star player for Liverpool, has lost favour with senior Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman after turning down a call-up to the under-21 national team last month to concentrate on settling into his new team. Since moving from Bayern Munich to Anfield in the summer for £36.5 million, Gravenberch has not played for Holland.
And his exile will continue into November with Gravenberch not even making Koeman’s preliminary squad for upcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers against the Republic of Ireland and Gibraltar. Koeman will expect an apology from the Reds midfielder before he returns to the fold but Dutch Football expert Mike Vermijl anticipates that Gravenberch will stick to his guns.
“I don’t think Gravenberch is there. That really surprises me,” he said on the Kick-Off podcast. “Ronald Koeman is really a people manager. Instead of 26, you can also simply put 27 on the provisional list. This would send a signal to Gravenberch: hey boy, keep it up!
“Maybe Koeman still blames him for that (the refusal to play for Jong Oranje). Perhaps Nigel de Jong (technical director of the KNVB) has not yet reached an agreement with Gravenberch about possible excuses.
“I just don’t think Gravenberch is going to apologise. A player should also be able to say that he prefers to acclimatise at his new club over the Dutch Juniors.” Gravenberch has hit the ground running since making the switch to Merseyside
The Dutchman stood out as the greatest player on the pitch on Thursday night as Liverpool defeated Toulouse 5-1 in the Europa League. He also attracted attention during the Reds’ previous game against Nottingham Forest. Despite being an afterthought in Klopp’s summer midfield makeover, he has emerged as one of the most crucial members of the team.