To go and spend £70 million seems strange - everything about Liverpool star has been phenomenal

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Ryan Graveberch has been one of Liverpool’s standout performers in their Premier League title charge.

Liverpool’s Ryan Gravenberch has been the best holding midfielder in Europe this season. That is the verdict of Danny Murphy, who believes there is no player who could dislodge the Dutchman from his current Reds berth.

Gravenberch has been the linchpin of Liverpool’s Premier League title charge. He has started every top-flight game as Arne Slot’s side sit six points clear at the summit of the table.

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Zubimendi snub

After succeeding Jurgen Klopp in the Anfield hot seat, Slot tried to sign Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad and Liverpool were willing to meet his £51 million release clause. But as Zubimendi did not want to leave his boyhood club, Slot instead deployed Gravenberch in the number-six position where he has thrived.

Some fans had hoped that the Reds would dip into the market to bring in cover for the Netherlands international but a new addition was not made.

Former Liverpool midfielder Murphy has been in awe of Gravenberch’s performances throughout the season. And he’s not surprised that Slot did not look to get in another holding midfielder as they’d have only been a bit-part player - and the Reds might have that stance in the summer.

Speaking to LiverpoolWorld via Betway, Murphy said: “When you look at a player like Ryan Gravenberch, his performances this season have been incredible. I think he's surpassed everybody's expectations in that role. Every aspect of his game, without the ball, with the ball, the travelling with it, the technical ability he's got, fitness levels, everything about him has been phenomenal.

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He's probably been the best player this season, so to go and spend £60/70 million on anybody seems strange. For example, if you think of someone like Joshua Kimmich at Bayern Munich who can play in that position, is a player like that going to come in and do better than what Gravenberch is doing?

“There's an argument to say at the moment, he's the best holding midfield player in Europe and it's very difficult to argue against that. So, would you use a huge chunk of your budget to bring someone in who's going to sit on the bench for £60 or £70 million? People forget how good Endo was at some stages last season as well and what a job he did because obviously Jurgen Klopp preferred him in there more than Gravenberch a lot of the time.

‘I don’t see them getting a holding midfielder’

“He's more than capable of filling that position if and when. I think the likelihood is, if they go into the market for a holding midfielder, it'll be more of an understudy, more of a lesser-known name. Somebody who maybe they can mould and work with. Nobody really springs to mind in that respect because we know what Liverpool's scouting networks is like.

“It's more likely to be someone who pricks the ears of supporters because we haven't really heard of them, or we don't know them. But because of the emergence of Gravenberch, I don't see them getting a holding midfielder. I don't think it's going to benefit the team spending money in that area because I haven't seen someone who's better than him.”

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