Liverpool have a good chance against Man City this weekend |Football Digest
Liverpool have been told that £35million summer signing Ryan Gravenberch can be Jurgen Klopp’s Gini Wijnaldum replacement. Wijnaldum now plays with Jordan Henderson under Steven Gerrard at Saudi Arabian side Al Ettidaq but was a vital cog in Klopp’s team for many successful years at Anfield.
After five years at Liverpool where he became a Premier League and Champions League winner, Wijnaldum moved on to Paris Saint-Germain but failed to capture the same form that saw him win over the hearts of Reds fans.
He formed a strong partnership with Henderson and Fabinho as a midfield trio but as the Dutchman moved on and they reached their thirties, their influence began to wane. Since Wijnaldum’s exit, Liverpool’s midfield has been in need of reinvestment and ex-Reds winger Bolo Zenden believes that revitalisation may have seen the new version of Wijnaldum join in Gravenberch.
“Gravenberch did really well at Ajax and that allowed him the chance to move to Bayern, who are a massive team with a certain aura. I don’t know why he didn’t get as many minutes as he wanted, but sometimes it’s down to the systems of the manager,” he told TG Casino.
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“It’s always hard to tell. I think Ryan needs time to adapt to the Premier League in general, but he’s settled in well. He didn’t play straight away, but he has very good technique and he likes to get forward.
“He’s intelligent. I see him as a Gini Wijnaldum-type player – playing in the middle and having the capability of getting higher up the pitch who easily moves the ball. It’s good to see Ryan finding his feet.”
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Gravenberch has had to wait for his chance after fighting off competition from Curtis Jones, Harvey Elliot and Wataru Endo but could be in line to start the blockbuster clash with Manchester City on Saturday alongside Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai should he recover from a minor knee injury.
Klopp has even lavished praise on the 21-year-old who recently joined from Bayern Munich. “He’s a good player,” he told TNT Sports. “I’m so happy for him that he starts really enjoying his football again. His first touch is incredible, his acceleration with the ball. He’s not even halfway there. The good thing is that he has a lot of things to improve.”
Gravenberch had been touted as one of the next top talents out of Ajax’s academy when he made the move to Germany. However, he struggled to find a place in the team under Julian Nagelsmann and Thomas Tuchel, but he is finding his feet in England as the ‘new Wijnaldum’.
The 23/24 home shirt for Liverpool pays homage to the past of the club, as well as collaborator Nike, with a strong 1970s influence. The iconic red, capped with bold white cuffs and collar really does invoke that classic Liverpool FC style while adding a cool retro touch
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