Why Gravenberch could be the perfect Bellingham alternative for Liverpool

 

With Liverpool electing against firming up their interest in Borussia Dortmund's Jude Bellingham, in what has been a huge waste of everyone's time in the Reds' pursuit of a central midfielder, rumours are rife on who they might target next in a bid to improve in the middle of the park. 

 

There are, of course, a number of midfielders in the market that would bolster Liverpool, though that shouldn't be used to judge a player. Any number of central midfielders would, in all likelihood, improve Jurgen Klopp's side at present, but, according to the Times, Ryan Gravenberch is one who appears to be high on their wishlist. 

 

Gravenberch only joined Bayern Munich last summer, but has found playing time hard to come by. All but one of his 18 league outings have come off the bench this season, registering just 334 minutes of action in the process. The Dutchman has played in excess of 30 minutes in a league game just twice in 2022/23 and it's fair to say his move to the Bavarian powerhouse hasn't gone quite according to plan. 

 

The impending arrival of Konrad Laimer from RB Leipzig suggests that Gravenberch will drop further down a pecking order already headed by German pair Leon Goretzka and Joshua Kimmich. At this stage in his career, Gravenberch needs regular minutes under his belt to aid his development, and at the time of writing, this won't be happening at Bayern. A summer exit, then, would be in his best interests, and Liverpool would be the ideal destination for the 20-year-old. 

 

For too long the midfield has been neglected at Anfield, and as such, Liverpool are muddling through to the end of the season with a trio of Fabinho, Jordan Henderson and Thiago, for the most part. The latter's injury issues have routinely come to the fore, while the former has been out of form for much of the campaign. That Klopp is still relying on the likes of James Milner, Naby Keita and Stefan Bajcetic highlights the poor direction of which investment has been made in the squad. 

 

Bajcetic is certainly one of the future at Liverpool, and the teen has impressed when utilised this term, but to rely on an 18-year-old with no Premier League experience to hold the midfield together shows poor planning on the part of the club. At least they are seeking to address the issue in the summer and while Bellingham is unlikely to make the move to Liverpool, the addition of Gravenberch would make up for a failure to sign the England international. 

 

Of course, given his lack of minutes for Bayern this season, it's harsh to use his Bundesliga performances as a measure of his quality and suitability to Liverpool. Rather, looking at his time in the Ajax first team would be a better way to judge Gravenberch and as an alternative to Bellingham, the Netherlands international would be as solid as they come. 

 

 

During his two seasons in the Ajax starting XI, Gravenberch completed the sixth most dribbles (116) in the Eredivisie. In a metric usually dominated by wingers, Gravenberch's inclusion as a central midfielder among the top 10 players in the Dutch top tier between 2020 and 2022 shows a willingness to drive the team forward from midfield. With a success rate of 65.5%, a modest return that ranked 23rd of the 150 players to attempt 50 or more dribbles over the same period, further highlights how effective Gravenberch can be when he gets the ball at his feet and looks to progress play through the opposition ranks. 

 

This ball carrying quality is a similar trait Bellingham has shown for Borussia Dortmund this season. The 19-year-old has completed more dribbles (76) than any other player in the Bundesliga this season, though does boast a success rate of 55.5%. Bellingham's willingness to get the ball upfield comes after he has regained possession for his side having made the sixth most tackles (68) and won possession in the midfield third the ninth most times (94) in Germany's top tier this term. 

 

By comparison, Gravenberch won possession in the midfield third 198 times in his two Ererdivisie seasons in the Ajax first team, that ranking 11th across 2020/21 and 2021/22. Additionally, both are capable of prying defences open, though this isn't a main strength of theirs. Indeed, Gravenberch was averaging 1.1 key passes per game across his final two seasons with Ajax, matching Bellingham's return for Dortmund this season, so while they are able to play that final pass, they are perhaps better at opening up angles in the final third and allowing their more creative teammates to wreak havoc in attack. 

 

Valued at a reported £25m, significantly less than Bellingham, Gravenberch is a cut-price alternative to the high profile teen, but one who can carry out the same duties as the Borussia Dortmund star. A lack of game time for Bayern should not put fans off an approach for the Dutch midfielder, and anyway; given Gravenberch's age combined with those ahead of him in the pecking order for the Bundesliga giants is not a definitive indicator on his success or failure for the Bavarian powerhouse. 

 

As Liverpool seek to rebuild their declining midfield, a player of Gravenberch's calibre and scope for improvement could prove the perfect addition at Anfield.

Why Gravenberch could be the perfect Bellingham alternative for Liverpool