The season of confirmation for Ryan Gravenberch? Considered one of Ajax Amsterdam’s emerging talents, the midfielder had not even reached his twenties when he was already a victim of his own success and courted all over Europe. After only two full seasons with his training club, the Dutchman decided to fly on his own by leaving his native land to fly to Germany and Bayern Munich, imitating his teammate Noussair Mazraoui in the process. Thinking he had made the right choice and determined to establish himself within the star-studded Bavarian squad, the Amsterdammer came up against the reality on the pitch. Restricted to a second-string role, Gravenberch never seemed to have the weapons to shake up the hierarchy in place. Slowed in his momentum and in search of playing time, the Dutchman took advantage of his popularity abroad to bounce back in England.
Wanting to revolutionize its midfield and in order to forget the failures of Roméo Lavia and Moises Caicedo, both of whom left for Chelsea, Liverpool decided to bet on the young Dutch talent by spending no less than 45 million euros including bonuses. But it was clear in the months that followed that the main player concerned struggled to justify this heavy investment made by the Liverpool board. Blocked by the tough competition in Liverpool’s midfield, playing in the shadow of Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mc Allister then gradually overtaken by Wataru Endo in the hierarchy, Ryan Gravenberch was quickly considered a rotation player under Jürgen Klopp, despite 38 appearances (for 4 goals and 2 assists) in all competitions with the Reds last year. But this season, the situation seems to have drastically changed for the Amsterdam native, partly thanks to his own determination.
Ryan Gravenberch has found his form again under Arne Slot!
It’s quite simple, since Arne Slot took over, Ryan Gravenberch has become the cornerstone of the Reds’ midfield. Positioned a notch below, in a more defensive role than usual, the Dutch international (14 caps, 1 goal) has found his best level. Precise in his transmissions, valuable in recovery and also capable of projecting himself forward, the Dutchman has adapted perfectly to the new system provided by his coach to the point of becoming an essential cog (4 Premier League matches, 4 starts).He’s been a midfielder all his life, maybe he plays a little deeper than he used to, but it’s not a big difference. I think he’s enjoying the way the team is playing, as the others are doing very well too.“, appreciated Arne Slot before discussing his involvement during the summer preparation.
“Ryan came back strong like many others and by stronger I mean really fit. He played some good games and took his chances… Do I trust him? If trust means he plays, then yes. But I also trust people who don’t play, so I think that’s always the easiest argument to make. Yes, you give him trust, that’s why he plays well“, noted the former Feyenoord manager in front of the press. The international break did not prevent him from confirming his return to the forefront. Playing all of the Nations League matches against Bosnia-Herzegovina (5-2) and against Germany (2-2), Gravenberch scored points, as evidenced by the words of Rafael Van der Vaart. “We have a fantastic midfield for our country. Arne Slot has brought him back to his best level and his potential is just huge. The first 60 minutes against Germany? He was by far the best player on the pitch.“, the former Hamburg star told Dutch television. So, everything suggests that the 22-year-old talent now has a real chance of establishing himself permanently in the Reds’ starting eleven. Good news for Liverpool, who will begin their European campaign with a trip to AC Milan on Tuesday.
