He can surpass Gravenberch: Liverpool ready big bid to sign £50m "machine"
da pinnacle： Liverpool have won back the Premier League from Manchester City, five years after they last stoop atop the mountainous English pyramid.
da stake casino： Pep Guardiola’s side have broken records to win four in a row since Jurgen Klopp put Liverpool back on their perch, but City have fallen by the wayside this season and Arsenal have never managed to build the requisite consistency to end their recent runner-up reputation.
But consistency has been Arne Slot’s middle name this year, his first since replacing Klopp in the Anfield dugout and putting the Reds back in the ascendency.
It bears testament to FSG’s business model that already sporting director Richard Hughes is liaising with Michel Edwards ahead of the summer transfer window, with signings needed in defence and attack to protect this exciting new position at the summit.
Ryan Gravenberch, a revelation
Gravenberch is a Premier League-winning midfielder. The Dutchman has started every single match as Liverpool have capered toward the title, deeply set in the midfield soil, no way of being uprooted.
Who saw it coming? Many of a Liverpool persuasion will no doubt admit they had reservations after a stop-start 2023/24 campaign, his first in England after Klopp completed his midfield rebuild by signing the Bayern Munich prospect for a £34m fee at the end of the 2023 summer transfer window.
The Netherlands international, 22, has recently spoken of the adversity he has had to overcome after playing so infrequently last year, and while he’s looked a little sapped at times recently, Gravenberch has been “first-class all season” in the eyes of pundit Peter Crouch.
Ryan Gravenberch in the Premier League
Stats (* per game)
23/24
24/25
Matches (starts)
26 (12)
34 (34)
Goals
1
0
Assists
0
4
Touches*
28.8
67.3
Pass completion
83%
89%
Key passes*
0.6
0.7
Dribbles*
0.9
1.0
Ball recoveries*
2.8
5.3
Tackles + interceptions*
1.5
3.6
Duels (won)*
2.8 (47%)
5.0 (58%)
Stats via Sofascore
He’s effectively improved across every metric, turning from a meandering midfield prospect into a deep-lying general of surpassing quality.
However, Gravenberch has indeed alluded to the fact that he’s been overworked, and it’s something Slot and Hughes have considered, for Liverpool seem to be getting ready to sign a midfield rival this summer.
Liverpool ready to sign Premier League midfielder
According to reports, via Caught Offside, Liverpool are interested in signing FA Cup hero Adam Wharton this summer and are preparing to lodge a £50m offer in the coming months.
Wharton, 21, has been a revelation at Crystal Palace and is not going to be short of suitors, with Arsenal and Manchester United also reported to be keen on doing a deal.
Though Liverpool’s title-winning midfield is probably the area of the pitch least in need of external assistance, Wharton might prove to complete the puzzle and maybe even leave Gravenberch sweating over the security of his starting berth.
Why Adam Wharton would be perfect for Liverpool
Crystal Palace produced a consummate performance against Aston Villa last weekend to set their place in next month’s FA Cup final. Wharton was among the standouts, with BBC pundit Shay Given even likening him to a rather well-respected midfielder of old.
Centre-midfielder Wharton left Blackburn Rovers in the Championship to sign for the Eagles for an initial £18m fee, leaving the club that had reared him.
He’s not going to have looked back, striking from the get-go a reputation for his slick passing and composed stride in the centre of the park.
His renown has burgeoned over the past 15 months, reaching its apotheosis (so far) after dismantling a Villa side at Wembley to move within touching distance of a first major trophy in Palace’s long history.
As per FBref, Wharton ranks among the top 5% of Premier League midfielders this season for progressive passes, the top 9% for ball recoveries and the top 15% for shot-creating actions made per 90, perfectly illustrating his elite passing game, crisp as you like while being creative too. He’s also a thoroughbred athlete, covering so much ground.
It’s a similar profile to that of Gravenberch. Although the argument that he’s performing such metrics to a lesser standard is there. It’s recorded that the Dutchman ranks among the top 31% of said midfielders for progressive passes, but also among the bottom 36% for shot-creating actions per 90.
Given that both players operate in positionally similar zones, it’s easy to ascertain that Wharton is the better man in distribution. Moreover, he doesn’t shirk from his defensive duties either, winning 1.8 tackles per Premier League game this season, as per Sofascore.
There’s nothing to say that these two players couldn’t work in conjunction within Slot’s Liverpool set-up, but there’s little question that Gravenberch lacks the natural-born seamlessness in possession. Not to say it’s a tactical deficiency of his, but rather, a glowing endorsement of Wharton’s talent.
The fact is, Gravenberch has lulled, and while he has areas that eclipse that of Palace’s man, the semblance between the two, which still manages to contrast and show off distinctive qualities, suggests that Liverpool would hit the jackpot in forging ahead with a deal for Selhurst Park’s midfield star.
Slot’s finely-wrought system hasn’t seen too much tinkering this term, but Wharton would be able to ply his work effectively at number six, fitting in for Gravenberch and given the opportunity to make the role his own.
He’s demonstrated his capacity on the big occasion, with esteemed journalist Henry Winter describing Wharton as a “passing machine” and the “best player on the pitch” during the FA Cup semi-final.
You could even make the strong claim that the one-cap England international has the superior ball-playing game to Gravenberch and may well be a more fitting number six in Slot’s flowing system.
In any case, having both in the mix would hardly be a bad thing; indeed, this is exactly the type of move that Liverpool need to make so as to consolidate their position at the top of the Premier League.
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