Ryan Babel has said that Liverpool have a gifted young player who could go on to become a ‘great asset’ at Anfield.
It was in the final hours of last summer’s transfer window that Ryan Gravenberch joined from Bayern Munich, with the 21-year-old going on to make 31 appearances so far for the Reds, albeit with only nine Premier League starts to his name (Transfermarkt).
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Speaking to the Liverpool Echo, the former LFC winger insisted that his compatriot is still settling in on Merseyside but has the qualities to become a huge success for his current club.
Babel said: “I was really happy and pleased to see Gravenberch join last summer. I think he needs some time to settle, but once he does, I think he can be a great asset for Liverpool. We will soon all see his talent.”
Gravenberch was highly impressive in the Europa League group stage for Liverpool, with two goals and an assist in that phase of the tournament (Transfermarkt), although he hasn’t yet been able to nail down a regular starting berth in the English top flight.
There are occasions when it’s clear that he’s still adapting to the rigours of the Premier League, such as when he surrendered possession all too easily in the lead-up to Bukayo Saka’s goal in our 3-1 defeat at Arsenal in February and failed to adequately track back, which saw him castigated by Jurgen Klopp on the touchline.
However, it must be remembered that he’s still only 21 and playing in his first season in England, having arrived off the back of an abortive campaign at Bayern in which he barely featured, and he wouldn’t be the first player who needed a few months to truly hit their stride at Anfield.
Think back to 2017, when Andy Robertson had to bide his time behind Alberto Moreno before ultimately dislodging the Spaniard. Fabinho is another example of a signing who initially felt like a slow burner before eventually catching fire in a big way for Liverpool.
We’re sure that there’s much more to come from Gravenberch, who still has more than enough time on his side to consistently hit the levels that he appears capable of reaching for the Reds.