On Thursday night, Liverpool hosted Union Saint-Gilloise at Anfield for a Europa League bout, with Ryan Gravenberch making the headlines for breaking a curious record. During the contest, he scored the opening goal and became the first Reds player since 2002 to score or assist in his first three starts.
Milan Baroš was the last player to achieve such a feat, and it is worth noting that he was a striker who occupied the penalty box more often than not. Gravenberch, by contrast, is regarded as a midfielder and one who was tipped by many supporters to become a long-term successor for Fabinho.
The Brazilian international was Liverpool’s holding midfielder for five years between 2018 and 2023, before he moved to Saudi Arabia this summer after experiencing an obvious decline last term. Supporters on Merseyside were somewhat surprised to see him depart, but they were also intrigued to see who would replace him as Jürgen Klopp’s new destroyer.
Aside from signing Wataru Endō, though, who is now aged 30 — meaning he’s actually older than Fabinho — no defensive-minded presence arrived at Anfield, with Liverpool investing in the services of Gravenberch, Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister, with all three of those known for their contributions in possession.
It is worth noting that Moisés Caicedo was targeted by Liverpool late in the window, but after days of negotiations, the Ecuadorian opted to join Chelsea for a record-breaking transfer fee after striking a verbal agreement to join the Blues months in advance. Instead of sourcing an alternative, Liverpool chased Gravenberch.
So far this season, it is Mac Allister who has showcased his best Fabinho impression, but when Gravenberch was acquired from Bayern Munich just hours before the summer deadline, many expected him to become Klopp’s new holding player, with much of that belief perhaps stemming from his imposing 1.90m frame.
The Dutchman is certainly well-rounded upon inspection of what he offers on the field, and — considering he’s still just 21 years old — it is not out of the question for him to be molded into a deep-lying player over the next few years. However, his early starts suggest that he would be wasted as a defensive type.
Gravenberch is quite clearly expressive when he’s on the ball. He is athletic, dynamic and eager to carry possession over large distances using his close control, dribbling ability and running power. The former Ajax wonderkid is good in tight spaces, and he seems to have an unpredictable element attached to his game.
He looks like quite a natural when he receives the ball in the final third, meaning he’s more comparable to the likes of Szoboszlai and Curtis Jones than Fabinho. Gravenberch looks more and more like an advanced number eight with every appearance in a red shirt, with Thomas Tuchel suggesting as much just a few weeks ago.
The Bayern Munich boss was asked why the German champions decided to sell him to Liverpool, and his reason was tactical.
“The main problem for him is that we don’t really play with a [number] eight in our 4-2-3-1 system,” he said (via the ECHO). “And we’re spoilt for choice up front with really experienced players. Ryan is a very nice, hard-working, committed player. He wasn’t happy with his situation. He sees the chance in Liverpool to fight for a place at eight in a 4-3-3. He’s wanted to go for a while.”
Gravenberch is already flourishing on English shores, but despite his promising start, it is reasonable to suggest that Liverpool will have to continue its search for an heir to Fabinho’s throne. Instead, it has another top-class number eight in the making.
