Former Jurgen Klopp signing heaps praise on £34m Liverpool star who is 'evolving' under Arne Slot
Arne Slot secured his first Champions League win with Liverpool this week after a strong 3-1 performance over AC Milan at San Siro. Aside from a narrow defeat to Nottingham Forest, the Reds are in good form under their new manager and pre-season has served a lot of positives for Slot’s team moving forwards.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdDuring the summer, the Reds had been eager to strengthen their midfield with a new No.6 but after talks with Martín Zubimendi collapsed, the whole search was called off. Reports have suggested Liverpool will return to the market for a new midfielder in January but for now, they will have to make do with their existing personnel.
This is no bad thing, though, as Slot’s decisions since pre-season have brought in significant praise. Despite Wataru Endō being the only natural No.6 on the books, the boss has moved from the idea of starting the Japanese international. In fact, Endō has made just two brief appearances this season, with Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai the favoured engine room trio.
Gravenberch has taken on the defensive midfield role this season and his efforts have earned him top compliments from former Liverpool star Thiago Alcantara. The 33-year-old left Anfield at the end of last season following the expiration of his contract, and he announced his retirement shortly after.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdThiago recently spoke to LFCTV ahead of Liverpool’s meeting with Nottingham Forest and he was asked directly about Gravenberch’s role under Slot.
“All good players, they have to get experience. They’ve just got to adapt to different circumstances in the game. He’s doing that, he’s just getting better in that position in the midfield, sometimes at No. 6. We can see it’s a very flowing three midfielders.
“It’s really pretty good to see him, how he’s evolving, how he’s adapting to that position. He’s an intelligent kid, so he will adapt very fast to any moment in the game, anything the coach says. He did it. We have to say they’ve done incredibly good, the three in midfield, because it’s not just him, it’s Macca there, it’s Dom as well around. Being surrounded by good players makes you a better player as well.”
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdAfter joining the club last summer for £34 million, Gravenberch had a mixed bag of appearances. While he did start some fixtures under Jurgen Klopp, the majority of his Premier League outings came from off the bench. However, as a mainstay under Slot so far, fans can only expect to see even more of the Dutch international.
Comment Guidelines
National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.