Ryan Gravenberch, Liverpool’s new signing, has been compared to Paul Pogba for his big looks and technical style of play. But the 21-year-old Dutch midfielder can do more than that.
Liverpool have acquired the best young midfielder of Dutch football. Ryan Gravenberch arrived from Ajax for a transfer fee of 40 million euros with a 5-year contract. “Ryan will give a lot to us. He is one of the most promising young talents in Europe, possesses excellent technique, always finds the perfect solution in tight spaces, is very dynamic and is a constant threat to the opponent’s goal.” , coach Jurgen Klopp talked about the new contract.
Gravenberch has just turned 21 but has had 4 seasons fighting in the Dutch championship. The giant midfielder (1m90) attracted attention very early with his outstanding ability to play the ball. In 2018, Gravenberch received the “Abdelhak Nouri Trophy” award for the best young player of Ajax. Debuting for the first team at the age of 16, the 2002-born player has so far played a total of 103 matches for Ajax, scoring 12 goals. The last 2021/22 season marked Gravenberch’s explosive form with 42 matches and 3 goals.
Tall, solid and soft with the ball, Gravenberch has been compared to Paul Pogba by many pundits. “Ryan can go very far. It’s not unreasonable for him to be compared to Pogba. Ryan resembles Pogba in his youth, extremely dynamic and very dangerous outside the box. That is the type of midfielder who is ready to score goals anytime, anywhere,” Marco van Hoogdalem, former assistant coach of the U21 Ajax team, commented on his former student.
Brian Tevreden, who pulled the 12-year-old boy Gravenberch to the Ajax U15 team, has not forgotten his impression of his student: “Physically, I see Ryan more similar to Frank Rijkaard, very tall and strong and always full of energy. But technically, I see him as a better version than Pogba during his peak at Juventus. The way Ryan controls the ball is as gentle as breathing and is a special instinct.”
Ryan Gravenberch comes from a football family. This player’s parents both played amateur football while his older brother Danzell currently plays for De Graafschap in the Dutch Second Division. So Gravenberch has a favorable foundation and development environment. The player born in 2002 joined Ajax when he was 8 years old, became a youth leader at both club and national level, and won the European U17 championship in 2018 with the Dutch U17 team. Since making his debut for the Netherlands national team in March last year, Gravenberch has continuously appeared on the field with a total of 10 appearances for the orange team.
At 21 years old, Gravenberch still has some of the typical limitations of a young player. The Dutch midfielder has not yet had persistent concentration and a truly stable mentality. When the home team is behind, Gravenberch tends to show impatience and lack of restraint. “He needs to be more stable. But fluctuations are normal for a player in his twenties. That will fade away as Gravenberch accumulates more experience,” commented Erik ten Hag, Gravenberch’s teacher at Ajax.
Going to Liverpool, Gravenberch will not easily compete with Thiago and Wataru Endo. But next season the English team really needs a seasoned force to fight on many fronts. The opportunity for the young Dutch midfielder is therefore still open, especially when Liverpool are looking to rejuvenate the squad.