On deadline day on Friday, Ryan Gravenberch became Liverpool’s final signing of the summer window, concluding an exciting rebuilding effort at Anfield. Jürgen Klopp now has a plethora of alternatives in his midfield, and Liverpool fans have a lot to look forward to as well.
Gravenberch’s arrival is thrilling. While things did not work out at Bayern Munich, Gravenberch remains one of Europe’s greatest midfielder prospects, and if he can get his career back on track at Anfield, the Reds will have a fantastic talent on their hands.
He can play on the left and right sides of midfield, as well as deeper in a holding midfield role in a double pivot.
It’s also worth noting that the club already has a sizable Dutch contingent, which could help him adjust well. Pep Lijnders is the assistant manager, and the squad includes Virgil van Dijk and Cody Gakpo.
Gravenberch will be familiar with Gakpo from their time together at U21 level for the Netherlands and the senior national squad.
For Liverpool fans, it’s worth noting that the combination has never lost a game together.
They’ve played together five times for the Dutch U21 and senior national teams, and each time they’ve won, with their teams scoring 12 goals and conceding none.
At the U21 level, the Netherlands triumphed 5-0 against Gibraltar in their debut game together.
If this pattern continues at Anfield, Liverpool fans will not grumble, but only time will tell. For the time being, it’s crucial to notice how Gravenberch’s existing relationships with people like Gakpo and Van Dijk can be extremely beneficial to his ability to settle in quickly.
While English will definitely not be a barrier for Gravenberch, who spoke quite articulately in his first interview upon arriving, having people with the same background and things that they miss from home could be advantageous on and off the field.
Add to that the presence of Lijnders, who will have closely watched Gravenberch’s career and is infamous for watching a lot of Eredivisie, and you have the ideal setting for the former Ajax academy graduate to resurrect his career.
Gravenberch has everything he needs to flourish at Anfield, from ‘unbeatable’ partnerships to those who know him well. It’s now up to him to complete the task.