Liverpool think new signing Ryan Gravenberch has a similar playing style to former midfielder Gini Wijnaldum.
The Reds signed Gravenberch on deadline day in an exciting looking addition. The 21-year-old completing Jurgen Klopp’s midfield revamp.
And according to The Athletic, Liverpool were determined to land Gravenberch, having missed out on him to Bayern Munich last summer.
Part of the reason they wanted the Dutchman so badly is reportedly down to his perceived similarity to countryman Wijnaldum.
The 32-year-old was a vital part of Liverpool’s trophy-winning machine for five years until his exit in 2021. And ‘senior recruitment figures’ at Anfield are said to believe that Gravenberch has certain similarities to the Dutch veteran’s game.
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Liverpool finally replace Gini
Ever since his departure for PSG in 2021, Liverpool have seemingly been trying to find Wijnaldum’s replacement.
Debate may rage on in years to come over whether it was a good idea to let the former Feyenoord man run his contract down and leave at the age of 30. He left a difficult void to fill.
But, in truth, Liverpool haven’t actually tried to replace Gini up until now.
Prior to this summer, they hadn’t signed a single senior midfielder between Wijnaldum’s exit and now.
Thiago Alcantara was the only one to arrive over the past five years, and the Spaniard signed a season before Liverpool’s former No.5 was out the door.
So, armed with that information, and this new piece of insight, it seems that Gravenberch is – to all intents and purposes – the ‘Gini replacement.’
To our eyes, Alexis Mac Allister might actually draw more resemblance to the new Al Ettifaq man’s game. But when they make a call like this, Liverpool’s recruitment staff are usually on the money. Time for Wijnaldum 2.0.