If Liverpool is to make a fourth midfield signing this summer, then reports would seem to suggest that there’s a good chance the player in question will be Bayern Munich’s Ryan Gravenberch.
According to Sky Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg, Liverpool and Manchester United will be the ‘favorites’ to sign Gravenberch if Bayern gives him the ‘green light’ to leave, even though neither club has reached a ‘verbal agreement’ on personal terms.
The 21-year-old has expressed a desire to ‘play regularly’ and while Bayern doesn’t currently intend to let him leave, bosses at the club have refused to rule out a departure.
There are clear parallels here to Liverpool’s pursuit of Chelsea defender Levi Colwill earlier in the transfer window. The Reds, as per Goal, identified Colwill as a transfer target before he signed a new deal at Stamford Bridge.
First things first, the duo are some of the most exciting young talents in their position. Having impressed so much in his 17 Premier League appearances for Brighton that he earned a nomination for the Golden Boy award, given to the best under-21 player in a top-flight European league, he starred in England’s successful U21 Euros campaign, featuring in the team of the tournament in light of his side’s remarkable 100 per cent clean sheet record.
While Gravenberch’s move to Bayern hasn’t gone the way either party hoped so far, there’s no doubting the potential he demonstrated at Ajax, where he won the Eredivisie Talent of the Year award in the 2020/21 season.
In addition, both players have expressed concerns over game time. Colwill told The Times earlier in the summer that he’s ‘got to play’ if he’s to make it into the senior England squad, offering Chelsea a clear warning, while Plettenberg reports that Gravenberch is unhappy with his current squad role at the Allianz Arena.
The Dutchman was an unused substitute on Friday as Bayern kicked off the Bundesliga season with a 4-0 victory over Werder Bremen, and you get the sense Thomas Tuchel will lose him if he doesn’t offer him more opportunities. Despite Bayern Munich ideally wanting to keep Gravenberch, BILD reports that an offer of around $33m (£26m/€30m) would be enough to sign him.
Chelsea fought hard to keep Colwill and ultimately managed to convince him to sign a huge six-year contract, with the option for a seventh year on top. Mauricio Pochettino has backed him to become one of the world’s best center-halves, and so losing him is unthinkable.
Gravenberch’s limited impact at Bayern has tempered excitement somewhat, but you still get the sense that the Bavarians want to persist with the project. He’s seemingly regarded as an important depth player for the season ahead, and one who can become world-class in future with the right coaching.
After missing out on a dream signing in Colwill, Liverpool will be hoping for a different outcome this time. Right now, it looks as if it will be a waiting game as the Reds hope for a development that will shift Bayern’s stance, clearing them to do battle with arch-rivals Manchester United.
This has the makings of a story that will go right down to the wire, with Plettenberg himself reporting that a ‘deadline day’ resolution isn’t out of the question.
