Today update: Liverpool signed world best player 

Today update: Liverpool signed world best player 

‘Let’s see’ – Fabrizio Romano drops cryptic Armel Bella-Kotchap claim amid Liverpool question
September 1st 2023, 19:10

It remains to be seen whether Liverpool will manage to sign a defender before the window closes on Friday at 11pm.

Ryan Gravenberch looks set to be announced as the club’s fourth official signing this summer following a change of heart from Bayern with regard to the Dutchman’s future.

One name the Merseysiders could yet pursue at the last minute may be Southampton’s Armel Bella-Kotchap, a name Fabrizio Romano directly addressed online in response to a query over the possibility of a move to Anfield.

“Let’s see [on Bella-Kotchap to Liverpool]. At the moment I don’t have any news on concrete negotiation, but Liverpool move fast in deals, like with Endo,” the Italian reporter spoke on Kick’s live blog.

At 21 years of age and reportedly available for a loan fee of £3m (according to a post on X from Patrik Berger), it seems an ideal option for the club to pursue to bolster a fragile backline.

Update: #BVB und Bayern weiterhin im Rennen um Armel Bella-Kotchap. Schlägt einer der beiden Konkurrenten noch zu? Nach @SPORT1-Infos hat Southampton mittlerweile die Forderung über €8m Leihgebühr runtergeschraubt, will nur noch €3,5m haben. Mehr: https://t.co/tow71a6DSn https://t.co/I3Z3SfuG1q

— Patrick Berger (@berger_pj) August 31, 2023

Admittedly, as a right-footed centre-half, one could understand Liverpool’s potential reservations over such a deal given their current preference for a left-sided centre-back who can provide cover for Virgil van Dijk.

Given the drop-off in quality when Ibrahima Konate is out of action, however, the need for an option on the right of the defence likewise can’t be ignored – particularly in light of Jurgen Klopp’s reliance on the Frenchman’s ability to effectively cover two spaces whilst the Reds are in possession.

liverpool.com
Liverpool may have just made bargain transfer as Ryan Gravenberch reality should be clear
Liverpool looks set to conclude a deal for Ryan Gravenberch during the final hours of the transfer window to complete the club’s business in what has been a busy summer. The Dutch international will be the final piece of a midfield rebuild which was very much a necessity at Anfield over the last few years.

But while Gravenberch comes with a lot of proven pedigree at 21 years old, it is the transfer that has probably elicited the least excitement out of all the other arrivals to have joined the club this summer.

On the one hand, based on his perceived ‘failure’ at Bayern Munich, it makes sense why fans would be reticent to get too excited. On the other, this is a young player who has played for some huge European clubs already and has the potential to be a world-class midfielder if he can get his career back on track.

READ MORE: Liverpool won’t mind Thomas Tuchel verdict on Ryan Gravenberch after $142m transfer mistakes

READ MORE: Liverpool transfer news amid Mohamed Salah latest as Jürgen Klopp ‘explores A-list signing’

It’s also important to note that while Gravenberch didn’t make a mark at Bayern Munich, that was largely down to not receiving a lot of opportunities to catch the eye. Liverpool also took a look at him before that while he was excelling at Ajax.

Thrust into a new team with elite midfielders, the coach who signed Gravenberch for Bayern, Julian Nagelsmann was dismissed midway through the season. In his place arrived Thomas Tuchel, who just couldn’t fit him into the club’s system.

It wasn’t down to bad performances on the pitch. If anything, when Gravenberch did play, he was his usual self.

Looking at some per 90 metrics in the Bundesliga (as per FBref), Gravenberch ranked among the top five midfielders for progressive passes (6.88), the top 10 for shot-creating actions (3.91) and the top 15 midfielders for tackles and interceptions (4.06).

For a midfielder in his first season in the Bundesliga, those are not bad numbers. One could only imagine what those numbers could have been if Gravenberch had been given proper chances to showcase his ability.

Ryan Gravenberch was still impressive for Bayern Munich in brief moments.

(Image: Marvin Ibo Guengoer – GES Sportfoto/Getty Images)

But Liverpool fans can be encouraged that even when it was coming on in games late on, Gravenberch still managed to put himself about and make a mark while at Bayern Munich.

If he can replicate similar numbers at Liverpool, then there is no denying the club could have just landed him for an absolute bargain price at $45m (£35m/€41m).

That is because Gravenberch’s sample size was bigger in the Bundesliga and he still put in the same per 90 numbers than he would have been up there with the likes of Jude Bellingham, who went for almost triple that amount of money this summer to Real Madrid.

Sure, there is an element of gambling with Gravenberch because he didn’t get the minutes he would have wanted. But then again that happens. Mohamed Salah barely got a look in at Chelsea. Philippe Coutinho couldn’t get minutes at Inter Milan. Yet they turned out alright in a Liverpool shirt.

Gravenberch has the potential to be a similar sort of signing, and his stats in the Bundesliga should highlight that reality very clearly for Liverpool supporters who are perhaps a bit skeptical about his arrival.

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Arsenal’s Gabriel approves Liverpool’s deadline-day move after Fabrizio Romano’s posts
Photo by S. Mellar/FC Bayern via Getty Images

Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhaes has liked Fabrizio Romano’s Instagram posts which suggest that Ryan Gravenberch is heading to Liverpool.

Jurgen Klopp has been in need of more midfield quality after allowing five players to leave that department this summer, most notably Jordan Henderson and Fabinho.

Well, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano started deadline day by reporting on Instagram that Liverpool are going to bid for Ryan Gravenberch.

Well, now, it seems as though Klopp is going to get his man because the Italian journalist has now shared on Instagram that Liverpool’s move for the Bayern Munich star is ‘NOT at risk of collapsing’, with the Merseyside club confident that they will sign the 21-year-old.

Some will question, after selling the likes of Henderson and Fabinho in July, why they have waited so long to bring in new faces.

Either way, as Romano was dropping the news about Gravenberch on his socials, his below post was liked by Arsenal defender, Gabriel Magalhaes, as he seemingly approved the deal the Reds are going to make.

Big move for both parties

This is a deal that Gravenberch needs because, after his summer move to Munich in 2022 from Ajax, he just hasn’t been able to get going.

Added to that, Klopp is in need of some bite and no-nonsense nature to his midfield and the Dutch star has that in his locker, it’s just a case of the player being pretty raw.

That’s where Klopp will want to work his magic because he has the chance to transform Gravenberch into a top, top midfield player.

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