Jurgen Klopp Reveals Ryan Gravenberch is in Contention to Make Liverpool Debut
Jurgen Klopp has revealed that Ryan Gravenberch is in contention to make his Liverpool debut this weekend and has described him as an “interesting package.” The Dutchman joined the Reds from Bayern Munich on deadline day in a £38.5 million move that completed a summer overhaul in the midfield area.
Speaking ahead of Saturday’s trip to Wolves, Klopp said “We will see” when asked about Gravenberch’s chances of involvement and added that his decision to withdraw from international duty will “benefit” his start to life at Anfield.
“We will see that, but of course, there’s a benefit [of staying at Kirkby instead of meeting up with the Netherlands U21s],” explained the boss. “He had training sessions here, he could sort everything on a private basis. We have games every three days, let me say it like that, so knows where he will live, he has organised everything around him.”
Gravenberch arrived after failed attempts to sign Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia saw the Reds turn their efforts towards bringing in a multi-functional midfielder. Klopp was asked about the attributes that led to the pursuit of the 21-year-old, with the manager admitting work can be done to improve defensively while maintaining that he has “massive potential.”
“The package is really interesting. He is good in small spaces, so he can accelerate with the ball, he can retrieve the ball. He is a good passer, good shooter,” he continued.
Klopp went on to explain that Gravenberch is working hard to improve his defensive game and that having Virgil van Dijk and Cody Allen around him will be beneficial for his development.
“Everybody would have said that defensively he can make the next step 100 per cent, but I see that he wants that, he got that 100 per cent,” he said. “He is working extremely hard. It is obviously really nice for him having Virgil and Cody around. He is a good guy and a player with massive potential and I don’t know how it will end up. I don’t know how long it will take to reach the peak, but we will work on that. He is here for a long time and I am really happy that he is here and we can start that.”
With Liverpool’s midfield options limited due to injuries, Gravenberch could be in line for his debut this weekend against Wolves. It remains to be seen if Klopp will opt to throw him straight into the starting lineup or if he will ease him in from the bench. Either way, it looks like Gravenberch will be an important part of Liverpool’s midfield for years to come.