Jorg Schmadtke's Liverpool transfer decision from 2023 is paying off for Arne Slot

Liverpool fans, and Arne Slot, may want to thank the former short-term sporting director Jorg Schmadtke for his role in acquiring their best performer so far this season.

Brought in on a temporary contract, the German was a strong confidant to Jurgen Klopp in the summer transfer window of 2023 - as the club oversaw a heavy window of change. Out went the likes of Fabinho, Jordan Henderson, James Milner Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita and the club welcomed Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister, Wataru Endo and current shining figure Ryan Gravenberch.

The latter is the focus here. Starting eight of their nine games so far this season - excluding his rest in the EFL Cup win over West Ham United - he has been arguably their best player. It is certainly a contrast from last season where he was a back-up option for Mac Allister and started just 12 league games. Not only has he looked like a different player, he’s doing it in a different position, tasked with being the deepest midfielder in Slot’s set-up.

Signed for £34m from Bayern Munich, he spent just a year in Germany where he was severely underused. He was heralded as a future star from his time at Ajax and broke into the first-team at the tender age of 18, he featured 47 times in his first full campaign which included 90 minutes at Anfield. Clearly, the potential was always there - it just took Slot to unleash it.

“He was outstanding again today, Ryan, with his dribbling ability and that was important against this team but if we only focus on the dribbles he had we forget maybe how important he is without the ball, where he does a lot of work and wins a lot of second balls as well.”

Originally, Liverpool had registered an interest during his time at Bayern, with reports claiming they would revisit it in the summer. Schmadtke arrived in time to help negotiate the deal, which was completed without a hitch. Interestingly, he was described by former player Erik Meijer, who was signed by Schmadtke for Alemannia Aachen in 2003 as someone who ‘finds players that managers can make better’.

He was also signed to allow the club to go after the likes of Mac Allister and Szoboszlai who cost more - but the fact is that Gravenberch held plenty of attributes and room to grow that the club felt would make him a worthwhile investment. After the win over Bologna, he notched his third ‘Man of the Match’ award in a row and Schmadtke’s helping hand and Liverpool identification of his signing has been supremely justified.