Liverpool Told to Be “Very Excited” to Have Player Who Could Surpass Jude Bellingham

Liverpool have been told to be very excited about Ryan Gravenberch, with claims that he could surpass Jude Bellingham in terms of ability.

The Reds secured the Dutch midfielder from Bayern Munich for a fee exceeding £34 million during the last summer transfer deadline.

Gravenberch’s debut season at Anfield under Jurgen Klopp was less than impressive, as he managed to start only 12 Premier League matches.

However, this season, under fellow Dutchman Arne Slot, Gravenberch has been a key player. He has played in all of Liverpool’s matches leading up to the international break, helping the team to win all three of their games.

Slot appears to have found a way to maximize Gravenberch’s potential. The midfielder contributed with an assist during the Netherlands’ 2-2 Nations League draw against Germany on Tuesday night.

Tottenham hero Rafael van der Vaart, who last year compared Gravenberch to Jude Bellingham, has reiterated his high praise for the Liverpool midfielder.

“I took quite a lot of stick when I said Ryan Gravenberch has the potential to be better than Jude Bellingham a year or so ago, but I stand by it,” Van der Vaart told BetMGM.

“I’ve always said the sky’s the limit for him if he can use his full potential and ability, so I’m not surprised by how good he’s been this season both for Liverpool and the Netherlands.

“Arne Slot has found a spot for him in the team at Liverpool and he’s thriving – you just have to look at the pass he played against Germany on Tuesday to show this is a player who has everything required to go right to the top.

“He’s strong, quick and intelligent – Liverpool fans should be very excited about what’s to come.”

Ryan Gravenberch was a member of the Netherlands squad that advanced to the semi-finals of Euro 2024, where they were eventually defeated by England. However, the 22-year-old did not feature in any of the matches.

Despite that, he delivered standout performances for the national team recently, contributing to a 5-2 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina before their draw against Germany.

Before the new campaign got underway, Slot discussed Gravenberch occupying the No. 6 role as he explained: “He has to develop in that position – that’s also clear – but he’s comfortable with the ball. He can run, he can keep running.”

And Van der Vaart also paid tribute to the Liverpool manager as he added: “A lot of people didn’t know too much about Slot before he came to Liverpool, but I’m his biggest fan and have been for a long time. Some of the football his Feyenoord team played was unbelievable, particularly as he did [it] with only okay players.”

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