Arne Slot’s arrival at Liverpool this summer may have been perfectly timed for midfielder Ryan Gravenberch.
That’s according to journalist Henk Spaan, who is full of praise for Gravenberch today and believes he is ‘world class’.
Gravenberch has been deployed as Liverpool’s new number six this season under Slot after the failure to sign one in the transfer window.
It’s proved to be a masterstroke from the new Liverpool manager to date, with Gravenberch impressing in the first three games of the season.
His best performances to date came in Sunday’s 3-0 win over Manchester United, with Gravenberch putting in a commanding, domineering display in the middle of the park that had the likes of Casemiro floundering.
It’s been a big step up for the Dutch midfielder, who arrived last summer in a €40m deal from Bayern Munich but played a bit part role under Jurgen Klopp last season.
Spaan is certainly impressed and believes Slot has noticed that he has a world class star on his hands.
“Gravenberch excelled at the highest level. He won seven out of ten duels against Manchester United, won two of two tackles and had four interceptions, one of which resulted in a goal,” he writes in his column for Het Parool.
“He was up against an 80 million Brazilian, whose wife threw his five European Cup wins on Instagram in her desperation, and a boy who played six international matches during the European Championship.
“Why Mainoo and not Gravenberch? We think Southgate is a conservative coach, but perhaps he is less conservative than Koeman.
“What our national coach didn’t see, Slot did: Gravenberch is world class. He became so thanks to Slot, the man who came his way just in time.
“He is a player who shows that, coming from the Eredivisie, not a single Dutchman is immediately ready for the Premier League. First simmer, then serve.”
