Liverpool are reportedly set to battle it out with rivals Manchester United over the signing of Bayern Munich midfielder Ryan Gravenberch.
The Reds tended to the midfield unit earlier in the summer and further strengthened the area with the surprise £16m signing of Wataru Endo from Stuttgart last week. Yet, Jurgen Klopp wants to add vital depth to that position and remains in the market for another signing.
According to the Daily Mirror, Liverpool and Manchester United have submitted contract offers to Ryan Gravenberch in a bid to sign him from Bayern Munich.
Gravenberch, 21, joined Bayern from Ajax last summer but the midfielder’s move to Germany has gone far from what he would have planned. The Netherlands international made 33 appearances in all competitions in his debut season at Bayern, but only six came as starts. That’s forced him to consider his future at the Allianz Arena, particularly ahead of the 2024 European Championships.
The 21-year-old midfielder’s potential availability has alerted both Liverpool and Man United. The report adds that Bayern value him at around £22million, but a more likely compromise would be for Gravenberch to be sent out on loan for the 2023/24 season.
Ryan Gravenberch to Liverpool—Right option?
Jurgen Klopp has conducted major surgery on his midfield department this summer, with five senior players exiting and making their way for Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister and Wataru Endo. They were interested in signing both Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia but lost out to Chelsea in the race for the defensive-minded pair.
Endo has been brought in to fill the void left by Fabinho in the No.6 role, and with Stefan Bajcetic returning to the matchday squad in the 3-1 win over Bournemouth on Saturday after months out injured, the Reds are not planning to sign another defensive midfielder. However, Klopp and Co. are expected to bring in at least one more fresh face to bolster their engine room, and it seems that could well be a box-to-box midfielder.
Bayern outcast, Ryan Gravenberch, in that regard, would be perfect for Liverpool. Gravenberch’s future at Bayern is uncertain. The central midfielder fears he will lose out on a place in the Netherlands’ squad for next summer’s European Championships if he continues to remain on the bench, having managed just one appearance for the national team since moving from Ajax to Bayern.
The Dutchman is an energetic, creative box-to-box operator who would give Klopp the kind of quality and energy he is looking for in midfield. He is a great carrier of the ball, calm and composed in tight situations and has vision to unlock tight defences. Due to his style of play, the ex-Ajax man could be a valuable asset for the Reds.
The signing of Endo adds steel and tenacity to Liverpool’s midfield, and if they can get the Ryan Gravenberch deal over the line, then Liverpool might just have enough then to challenge for the Premier League title. But with United also in the mix for the talented midfielder’s signature, they must hurry up.
