Jamie Carragher has likened Liverpool new signing Ryan Gravenberch to former Arsenal skipper Patrick Vieira as the Dutchman continues to impress at his new club.
Gravenberch joined the Reds on deadline day from Bayern Munich for a fee believed to be in the region of €40m and has already racked up a goal and two assists across all competitions for the club. In an exclusive interview with the Liverpool Echo, Carragher claimed the former Ajax man could turn into a ‘really special player’ under the tutelage of Jurgen Klopp.
He said: “As for Gravenberch, he hasn’t played as much, you are looking at the potential and thinking it could be something really special there. You are seeing signs of that, the way he moves and glides past people. There is something there and, if Jurgen Klopp and his staff can make that into something good, we could have a really special player.
The Liverpool legend singled out Gravenberch’s ability to ‘glide’ with the ball as one of his standout abilities, admitting that he has shown signs of Vieira in his short stint at Anfield. He added: “Just looking at him, he looks like a footballer – the size, the physique. He reminds me a little bit of Patrick Vieira, that way he glides through with the ball. You can see signs of that.”
The 21-year-old has shown glimpses of his potential as a left-sided No.8 in Klopp’s system and scored his first goal for the club in the Reds’ 2-0 UEFA Europa League win against Belgian Pro League side Union Saint-Gilloise in midweek. With Curtis Jones suspended for Liverpool’s Premier League clash against Brighton & Hove Albion, Gravenberch could be in line for his first-ever Premier League start at the Amex Stadium.
