Liverpool: Gravenberch to stay at Bayern

Liverpool are said to have no chance of signing Ryan Gravenberch this month, with Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg claiming that the midfielder is set to stay at Bayern Munich.

The Lowdown: Liverpool eyeing a new midfielder

There have been numerous central midfielders linked with moves to Anfield, with Fabrizio Romano recently claiming that Moises Caicedo is ‘one to watch’, while there has also been talk about Jude Bellingham and Matheus Nunes.

Liverpool’s interest in Gravenberch seems to be long-standing, with reports as far back as April 2021 touting him for a move to Merserside and the transfer links re-emerging that summer, before resurfacing again in recent days after his agent was reportedly spotted at Anfield.

The Latest: No chance of Gravenberch

Plettenberg took to Twitter with an assessment of Liverpool’s chances of signing the 20-year-old in the final week of the transfer window, and the message is rather emphatic.

He tweeted: “News #Gravenberch: It’s decided and no doubt: He has to stay at #FCBayern! No transfer in January. Within the club they still believe in him. A loan to Liverpool or to another club is NO topic.”

The Verdict: Blow for Klopp

Jurgen Klopp is in real need of an upgrade in central midfield, with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita yet to extend their contracts beyond their expiry at the end of the season. Meanwhile, Jordan Henderson and James Milner are both well into the twilight of their careers, while the midfield in general has been identified as a major weakness in the current Reds team.

Gravenberch has been hailed as a ‘top talent’ by football scout Jacek Kulig and has shown some indicators that he could go on to be a fantastic player at the highest level. For instance, he has averaged 3.62 shot-creating actions per 90 over the past year, a figure which puts him in the 88th percentile compared to other midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues.

Liverpool do have feelers out for other midfield targets in January, but it will still be disappointing that there appears to be no chance of them signing the Dutchman, as he seemingly would’ve had plenty to offer in an attacking sense and still has lots of time on his side to develop even further.

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