Ryan Gravenberch has been a key player for Liverpool since Arne Slot took over as head coach.
Julian Nagelsmann has suggested the reason why Ryan Gravenberch has been a hit for Liverpool unlike at Bayern Munich.
The midfielder completed a move to the Reds in the summer of 2023 having spent just a year at Bayern. He joined the German giants after an impressive breakthrough at Ajax but was a bit-part player at the Allianz Arena.
And while Gravenberch had to be patient in his first season at Liverpool, having been purchased for £34 million, he has been a regular starter since Arne Slot took over as head coach. Gravenberch has been deployed in the No.6 position and started every Premier League game when available. He was the linchpin when the English championship was won last term.
Nagelsmann, now Germany head coach, was responsible for signing Gravenberch when in charge of Bayern. And he suggested that Gravenberch needed consistent minutes to show his best form rather than coming off the bench in games.
Speaking to Kicker, Nagelsmann said: “You have to pay extremely close attention to how a player handles being 15th or 16th in our squad, even though he's considered a top-six player at his club, someone who always plays. Can a player who's a regular starter at his club grow into that kind of role with us, or not? I can certainly imagine that there will be players who don't see themselves as being 15th or 16th in the squad. They might not say so publicly, but they'll say it in private conversations.
“Ultimately, every player has to make a genuine commitment. But then, in March, they also have to show that they stand by their word and put the team first. I know from experience that not everyone can do that
“Let me give you an example from my time at Bayern Munich. Ryan Gravenberch is a top-class player, he already was at Bayern, but the situation was very complicated for him after his transfer from Ajax. Leon Goretzka and Joshua Kimmich were ahead of him in the pecking order, and I had also promoted Aleksandar Pavlović. Ryan's task was to step up his game in the last 20 minutes, but that's not his style of play. Ryan is a player who needs consistent rhythm throughout the match. And then there are players you can bring on for 20 minutes, either to maintain a result or to desperately score a goal. They can give their all and leave everything on the pitch in those 20 minutes."
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