Jurgen Klopp may have found new Gini Wijnaldum as Liverpool ‘examine’ $32m transfer

With Liverpool needing midfield investment this summer, the Reds would be looking at Ryan Gravenberch, who has yet to shine for Bayern Munich.

Liverpool have made the surprising decision to approve a high-profile departure in the summer of 2021, allowing Gini Wijnaldum to leave the club on a free transfer. The Dutch midfielder was allowed to have his contract expired, with the Reds refraining from offering him a new contract.

Throughout his career at Anfield, Wijnaldum portrayed himself as the ultimate blank canvas. He could become anything Jürgen Klopp wanted him to be in the blink of an eye, demonstrating remarkable versatility and tactical awareness to adapt to the instructions given to him. For Newcastle United he was a wide player, for Liverpool he was a commanding presence who could turn into a box-to-box threat when needed and for his national team he was number 10. Klopp credited Wijnaldum as one of the smartest players. he was still manager when he left, with the Anfield side essentially replacing him with the then 29-year-old Thiago Alcântara.

Thiago, 31, won’t be at his peak for much longer and Klopp’s midfield division, which includes Jordan Henderson, James Milner, Fabinho, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby, is widely seen as in dire need of help. investment, while Keïta looks beyond his peak.

Jude Bellingham is seen as Klopp’s first-choice option for the summer transfer window but one addition is unlikely to be enough with several others also being watched, including a certain Ryan Gravenberch.

“Liverpool are interested,” journalist Kenny Hau recently told the ‘Die Bayern Woche’ podcast on Sport 1. “They want to rejuvenate their midfield this summer and can well imagine getting two new eights.

“His name has been mentioned several times by officials (there is no concrete interest yet) but the situation is under review and they have already contacted the people of Gravenberch to inquire about him and what kind of person he is. You have to be honest: when he had the chance, he couldn’t recommend himself 100% (to FC Bayern).”

Gravenberch rose to prominence as one of Ajax’s famed academy’s biggest talents a few years ago, after joining the legendary Dutch club in 2010. He started making waves as a teenager, making his debut in first team at 16 and becoming his club’s youngest player.

Gravenberch quickly made headlines mainly due to his physical presence. He is 1.9m tall and appeared to be a man near his prime when in fact he was a young starlet who was still intensely studying the game.

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In fact, the Dutch international doesn’t have many weak points in his profile. Like his compatriot Wijnaldum, he seems adaptable and relatively complete, despite his young age he has versatile skills.

Gravenberch, 20, is under contract with Bayern Munich, who decided to sign him from Ajax last summer. The German champions, valued at $32m (£27m/€30m) by Transfermarkt, realized their potential by acting early – just as he did with Renato Sanches seven years ago – but so far have encountered similar difficulties. Like Sanches, who also struggled as a teenager when he moved from Benfica to Bayern, Gravenberch failed to impress when given opportunities on the pitch, with more seasoned pros like Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka keeping him on the bench. Indeed, the even younger 19-year-old Jamal Musiala prevented him from playing.

Gravenberch has started just one Bundesliga game this season, coming on as a substitute in twelve others. It’s early days considering he only changed clubs seven months ago, but it’s understandable why Liverpool would watch his situation from a distance, especially considering what he could become.

With Bellingham, Mason Mount and Matheus Nunes all keen to move to Anfield in the coming months, it remains to be seen whether Gravenberch will pull it off. If he wears a red shirt, he has the qualities to follow in Wijnaldum’s footsteps under Klopp’s guidance.