Liverpool finally seal Ryan Gravenberch deal to complete midfield overhaul
Signing the Dutch international from Bayern Munich brings Jurgen Klopp’s midfield spending this summer to £150m
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Your support makes all the difference.Liverpool have finally completed the signing of Ryan Gravenberch from Bayern Munich for £34.2m.
The 21-year-old has signed a five-year contract at Anfield and takes Jurgen Klopp’s spending on his midfield this summer to £150m.
Klopp has also bought Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Wataru Endo and, after tracking Gravenberch for several years and putting him on his shortlist before the summer transfer window, he revived his interest in the Netherlands international after missing out on Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia.
Liverpool had an offer accepted by Bayern on Thursday before the former Ajax player flew to Merseyside and passed a medical. He is still waiting for a work permit.
Liverpool see Gravenberch as a versatile player who can operate as either a No 8 or a No 6 and he adds to a new-look midfield after the summer departures of more experienced players, in James Milner, Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita.
Bayern attempted to sign Joao Palhinha to replace Gravenberch but, although Fulham refused to sell the Portugal international, the German champions were still willing to allow the Dutchman to leave after only one year and just three starts in the Bundesliga.
On a busy day for Liverpool, they also rejected a £150m bid from Al-Ittihad for Mohamed Salah which would have made the Egyptian the third most expensive player ever, after Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.
After joining the Reds, Gravenberch told the club website: “I’m very happy. Very happy that the deal is done and I’m finally here.
“If you see it from the outside, it’s one of the biggest clubs in the world. Also the fans, the stadium, I think everything from the outside is top. So that’s why [it was the right club].
“I’m really looking forward to [being at Anfield] and I can’t wait to hear the You’ll Never Walk Alone song. Now we start fresh again, a new start, and I’m going to give my all for this club. [My ambitions are] to win prizes. To win prizes, play a lot and show them who we are and who I am.”
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