While Ryan Gravenberch has been a revelation under Arne Slot to the point he feels ‘his player’, it was the insistence of Jurgen Klopp which ensured his signing.
Gravenberch has already started more games this season (29) than he did in the entirety of his first campaign on Merseyside (21).
It comes after being installed as one of the most important players in Arne Slot‘s setup, an ever-present in the No. 6 role in both the Premier League and Champions League.
That he has been so influential has surprised many, with Gravenberch appearing more of a squad player under Klopp who employed him as a No. 8.
But while that may suggest Klopp was not overly sold on the young Dutchman, the Liverpool Echo‘s Paul Gorst has now claimed it was the manager who pushed through his £38.5 million signing from Bayern Munich.
Klopp was “privately insistent that a deal for the athletic midfielder was not a luxury add-on,” despite Liverpool having already signed three midfielders in Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Wataru Endo.
The manager held a “frank discussion” with the decision-makers within Liverpool’s hierarchy at the time and “used enough of his considerable sway” to ensure Fenway Sports Group and their president Mike Gordon “freed up the funds.”
His use of Gravenberch, who was 18th for minutes played last season despite missing only nine games, did not exactly back up that stance.
But Klopp looks to have laid the groundwork for Slot to develop the 22-year-old into the leading midfielder Liverpool rely upon today.
Liverpool first watched Gravenberch when he was 13
Liverpool had long held interest in Gravenberch, of course, with it known that they first watched him aged just 13 playing youth football for Ajax.
Matt Newberry, then a youth scout but now in the role of director of global talent, spotted the youngster playing for Ajax U16s – three years above his age group – against PSV Eindhoven.
Per the Times‘ Paul Joyce, the club’s recruitment team – led at the time by chief scout Barry Hunter and now-departed head of recruitment Dave Fallows – continued to follow Gravenberch in the years after.
So while FSG needed a forceful nudge from Klopp to get the deal done, Liverpool had long done the background work on a player who is now realising his potential.
Fan Comments