How Arne Slot Could Repeat Ryan Gravenberch Trick With Three Liverpool Players

Ryan Gravenberch has been outstanding this season under the leadership of Liverpool’s new manager, Arne Slot.

While some Liverpool fans may have expressed frustration over the limited number of signings during the summer transfer window, it’s hard to argue against the results Slot is delivering with the squad at his disposal.

Following Ryan Gravenberch’s latest impressive performance, albeit at the international level, the focus will likely shift to whether Slot can revive the form of other potential stars at the club.

Gravenberch joined Liverpool from Bayern Munich last summer in a £34 million transfer but struggled to make an impact during his first season, despite making 38 appearances.

Mostly restricted to a squad role, his future at Anfield seemed uncertain when Liverpool pursued Real Sociedad midfielder Martín Zubimendi this summer. However, Zubimendi turned down the opportunity to join the Reds, leaving Gravenberch with another chance to prove himself.

So far, the 22-year-old has looked revitalised in a deeper position under his fellow countryman, playing a part in all three of Liverpool’s Premier League victories.

After delivering an impressive display in the 3-0 win against Manchester United, he continued to excel in the Netherlands’ 2-2 Nations League draw with Germany on Tuesday night.

Speaking on NOS, Dutch pundit Rafael Van der Vaart said afterwards: “Ryan Gravenberch? We got a fantastic midfielder for our country. Arne Slot brought him back to his highest level and his potential is fully coming out. The first 60 minutes he was by far the best player on the pitch.”

Liverpool fans are now hopeful that the ex-Feyenoord man can reinvigorate the careers of three key players in particular.

Darwin Nunez, who joined from Benfica in a big-money move during the summer of 2022, has divided opinions. While his work rate and threat are evident, his performances have often been overshadowed by his tendency to miss significant chances.

This season, Nunez has yet to start under the new manager, with only two late substitute appearances against United and in the home win over Brentford.

There remains a belief that the 25-year-old has the potential to become a dominant force in the Premier League. The challenge for Slot is to turn Nunez into a consistent and reliable No.9.

Cody Gakpo presents a similar challenge. After being a joint golden boot winner at Euro 2024, there were high hopes that the 25-year-old Dutch forward would improve his goal-scoring record at Liverpool, having already netted 23 times in 79 appearances before this season began.

However, like Nunez, Gakpo has yet to feature in any of Slot’s starting line-ups, being used primarily as a second-half impact player. If Slot can harness Gakpo’s talent the same way he did for the Dutch national team this summer, Liverpool will have a strong selection dilemma for their attacking trio, with Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota also impressing alongside Mo Salah.

Arguably the biggest challenge for the 45-year-old manager will be transforming Curtis Jones into a consistent first-team player.

Despite his obvious creativity and tenacity, Jones has yet to develop into the midfielder Liverpool needs to mount a serious title challenge. Additionally, the arrival of Federico Chiesa could further limit Jones’ opportunities for selection.

Jones, now 23, is back in training after recovering from injury and is expected to be available for the home game against Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

It seems that this could be a make-or-break season for him under Slot. If Jones can fulfill his potential, he could add another dimension to Liverpool’s already potent attacking force.

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