Jurgen Klopp is running out of time to complete his midfield rebuild…
Since welcoming both Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai at the start of the summer transfer window, Liverpool have encountered a fair few difficulties when it comes to their midfield rebuild.
It looked as though they could sign Moises Caicedo at one stage, after reportedly agreeing a fee with Brighton & Hove Albion, before the 21-year-old chose Chelsea over an Anfield switch.
The Merseyside club then suffered the same fate when it came to Romeo Lavia. And, now, they have reportedly turned to another option, as the transfer window edges closer and closer to slamming shut.
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After failing to sign Caicedo and Lavia, Jurgen Klopp settled on Wataru Endo, who arrived for a reported £16m from Stuttgart to at least hand the Liverpool boss a defensive midfielder to call upon.
Even after the Japan international’s arrival, though, the Reds are still seemingly seeking one more arrival before deadline day arrives.
It remains to be seen whether the Premier League giants will get the reinforcement that they have been seeking, however, after Crystal Palace reportedly placed a £70m price-tag on Cheick Doucoure. And that price-tag has reportedly seen Liverpool turn their attention to Bayern Munich’s Ryan Gravenberch.
According to TuttoMercatoWeb, via Sport Witness, the Reds have already seen a bid rejected for Gravenberch this summer. But, as per 90min in the last 48 hours, Liverpool’s talks are at a more “advanced stage” than Manchester United this summer, and there is now a feeling that Bayern Munich have softened their stance regarding the sale of the midfielder.
With that said, 90min have reported that the Bavarians could now be willing to part ways with Gravenberch for as little as just over £20m before the transfer window slams shut. It seems as though the Dutchman is certainly one to keep an eye on in the coming week.
The former Ajax man has so far failed to make his mark at Bayern Munich, making just three starts in the Bundesliga last season. But, that’s not to say he hasn’t got enough potential to succeed elsewhere, perhaps even at Anfield.
At his best, Gravenberch has received plenty of praise, including from former Bayern director Hasan Salihamidžić, who said, via Fabrizio Romano:
“Ryan is an outstanding player. We know that we’ll have a lot of joy with him.
“There are phases where you play a bit less. But everyone can look forward to him.”
Statistically speaking, the 21-year-old outperformed former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson last season in certain aspects, too.
According to FBref, Gravenberch made more progressive carries, enjoyed a better pass completion rate, and made more blocks, tackles, and clearances than Henderson per 90 last season.
Every way you look at it, if Liverpool can secure the midfielder’s signature for around the £20m mark, they’d be completing a smart piece of business to complete their summer rebuild in the middle of the park. Klopp’s side are certainly one to keep an eye on as the window comes to a close.
