Arne Slot already deserves serious credit for managing to turn Ryan Gravenberch’s Liverpool career around.
You’d like to think that a manager of Jurgen Klopp’s calibre would have eventually found a place for the Dutchman in his Liverpool 2.0. However, the warning signs in place suggested otherwise.
Under the Merseysiders’ new head coach, however, the former Bayern Munich “flop” looks like a footballer seriously benefitting from a sense of renewed purpose.
VOTE for Empire of the Kop in Best Club Content Creator – Premier League HERE
Ryan Gravenberch was sensational against Wolves
The 22-year-old shone in the middle of the park yet again during the Merseysiders’ tight 2-1 victory over Wolves at the Molineux stadium.
Remarkably, OptaJoe noted on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday morning that the No.38 matched Sandro’s record for duels, tackles and passes in 2012.
It was a performance that saw Gravenberch deservedly handed recognition with another man of the match award secured after the 90 minutes.
The only concern on the fanbase’s mind is whether the footballer is now carrying a slight fitness concern.
Liverpool look considerably more defensively solid
It’s worth highlighting that the former Ajax sensation shouldn’t be considered an out-and-out destroyer in a similar sense to how our former ‘lighthouse’ Fabinho was accurately perceived to be.
Nonetheless, Arne Slot does have his deepest-lying midfielder to thank in part for his side’s newfound solidity at the back.
Gravenberch has won 28/41 ground duels (68.29%) in his last five appearances (Sofascore) and maintained an 89.3% pass success rate (302/338).
To say that our Dutch midfielder is decent on and against the ball would simply be selling him short.
Yes, there’s still a certain degree of rawness about our summer 2023 signing that shouldn’t be ignored. If anything, it should be taken into consideration when evaluating his performances in 2024/25.
The future looks very bright for Ryan Gravenberch – and Liverpool if Jurgen Klopp’s successor can keep nurturing his upward trajectory.