Inside £150m Transfer Plan to Rebuild Liverpool as New Ryan Gravenberch Details Emerge

In the summer of 2023, Liverpool overhauled their midfield at a cost of approximately £150m, securing the signatures of Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch, and Wataru Endo.

The echoes of a challenging campaign had barely faded when Jurgen Klopp swiftly shifted his attention to the future. Fresh from overseeing a chaotic 4-4 draw with Southampton, the Liverpool manager in May 2023 was already hinting at what promised to be a hectic summer of player transfers.

By the conclusion of the 22/23 season, it had become evident that Klopp’s once-formidable midfield machine had lost its intensity, slowing the effectiveness of their famed gegenpress.

With Liverpool finishing outside the top four for the first time in the German manager’s eight full seasons, a significant squad rebuild was widely expected.

Therefore, it was hardly surprising to hear Klopp allude to the anticipated transfer activity, even if the timing of his comments—so soon after the final whistle—caught some off guard.

“I have a break – I don’t have training and those kinds of things – but a pretty busy period hopefully starts now as well in a different area of the game,” Klopp said in clear reference to an upcoming summer window where a number of midfielders were set to be pursued.

The struggles of Liverpool’s ageing and injury-prone midfielders made it inevitable that the club would be linked with potential successors. Players such as Conor Gallagher, Matheus Nunes, and Mason Mount were all considered, while Manu Kone, Khephren Thuram, and Gabri Veiga also attracted interest at various stages.

Liverpool faced setbacks during the transfer window, with Southampton rejecting multiple bids for Romeo Lavia and their pursuit of Moises Caicedo from Brighton & Hove Albion collapsing in August.

Despite casting their net wide, the significant turnover in midfield, which saw Fabinho, Jordan Henderson, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, James Milner, and Naby Keita leave, underscored the urgent need for reinforcements.

By late May, Liverpool’s recruitment efforts began to take shape, and Alexis Mac Allister became their first summer signing, officially joining on June 8.

The Argentina World Cup winner had been on the club’s radar for some time, although before the tournament in Qatar, he had only eight caps and no starts for his national team. This led to debates about his readiness to excel at the highest level, despite positive assessments from football experts.

Liverpool had reportedly begun groundwork for Mac Allister’s signing well before the World Cup. However, Argentina’s triumph in Qatar raised his profile, potentially complicating negotiations.

A release clause in Mac Allister’s new contract with Brighton, signed in October 2022, proved crucial, enabling Liverpool to secure him for a fee far below his market value. While Mac Allister contributed to Brighton’s top-six Premier League finish, his teammate Moises Caicedo later left for a record £115m, highlighting the Reds’ shrewd business in signing the 24-year-old for £35m.

Liverpool had earlier abandoned their pursuit of Jude Bellingham, who would have consumed a substantial portion of the transfer budget, at a time when multiple midfield reinforcements were necessary.

This decision, made months before Mac Allister’s signing, drew criticism, particularly as Bellingham was heavily linked with Liverpool. However, the lack of Champions League football and the appeal of Real Madrid played key roles in the decision.

The groundwork for Mac Allister’s transfer was led by former sporting director Julian Ward, who oversaw negotiations before his departure. A longstanding relationship with Mac Allister’s agent, Juan Gemili, dating back to Liverpool’s 2013 signing of Philippe Coutinho, facilitated the deal.

Liverpool chose not to disclose the fee for Mac Allister, leading to speculation that it was deliberately kept under wraps as it was significantly below the market rate for top-tier midfielders. For example, Chelsea had paid £105m for Enzo Fernandez, another Argentine midfielder, earlier that year. This theory, however, remains unconfirmed.

Mac Allister’s versatility was a significant factor in Liverpool’s decision to pursue him. By the summer of 2023, he had made around 160 career appearances, aligning with the club’s preference for first-team signings. Liverpool’s policy has seen players like Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah, and Diogo Jota join the team with approximately 175 senior games under their belts.

While Mac Allister had been identified long before his signing, Liverpool’s second summer addition, Dominik Szoboszlai, required a swift pivot. The club learned of a £60m release clause in the Hungary captain’s RB Leipzig contract just days before it was set to expire on June 30. Missing this deadline would allow Leipzig to dictate a higher fee.

Liverpool had initially tracked Mason Mount for several months, believing they could capitalise on his expiring Chelsea contract. However, Chelsea’s £60m valuation led the Reds to abandon their pursuit. Manchester United later paid the fee, but Mount’s underwhelming performances since have validated Liverpool’s decision to explore alternatives.

Szoboszlai emerged as a preferable option at the same price point, given his youth, versatility, and potential. The existence of a release clause made the transaction more straightforward than negotiating with Chelsea for Mount. Additionally, Jurgen Klopp received positive feedback from those familiar with Szoboszlai, and the player expressed enthusiasm about working under Klopp. Szoboszlai even sought advice from his close friend, Erling Haaland, about life in the North West.

After productive discussions with Szoboszlai’s agency, EM Sports, and his representative, Matyas Esterhazy, Liverpool recognised they had only days to trigger the release clause. With Leipzig already losing Christopher Nkunku to Chelsea and Josko Gvardiol to Manchester City, the German club had little incentive to be accommodating. Liverpool moved swiftly, finalising the deal just hours before the clause expired, flying Szoboszlai to Merseyside for his medical and media duties. On his flight to Liverpool, Szoboszlai learned the lyrics to “You’ll Never Walk Alone” before staying in a city-centre hotel.

Liverpool’s short-term sporting director, Jorg Schmadtke, played a key role in closing the deal, though he initially believed the £60m fee was excessive. Schmadtke later admitted his misjudgment, praising Szoboszlai for becoming an important player from the start. With deals for Mac Allister and Szoboszlai completed before pre-season, Liverpool turned their attention to long-standing target Ryan Gravenberch.

Liverpool had monitored Gravenberch since his time at Ajax, even as he moved to Bayern Munich for just £15m in 2022. However, his struggles to break into the Bayern first team reignited Liverpool’s interest. By early 2023, a deal seemed feasible, but uncertainty over the club’s Champions League qualification complicated matters. With Liverpool needing to rebuild their midfield, budget considerations became increasingly crucial.

An informal meeting between Liverpool officials and Gravenberch’s father reportedly took place in April, months before the transfer was finalised. The delay was partly due to uncertainties about whether Gravenberch could secure more playing time under Thomas Tuchel, who had replaced Julian Nagelsmann at Bayern towards the end of the 2022/23 season.

“It’s about just wanting to play, that’s the most important thing at my age,” he told ESPN in June of 2023. “I hope this can happen at Bayern Munich, otherwise we’ll just have to look further. I told everyone that I don’t want another year like that.”

Gravenberch realised his future at Bayern Munich was uncertain when his nine-minute cameo against Augsburg, four games into the season, marked his first appearance of the campaign. That match turned out to be his 34th and final outing for the German club.

The involvement of agent Jose Fortes Rodrigues was crucial in finalising the transfer between Liverpool and Bayern. The deal, however, was only officially completed hours before the summer transfer window closed at 11 pm on September 1, as neither club was willing to compromise significantly during their respectful negotiations.

While Rodrigues received praise for his role in the transfer, it was Jurgen Klopp’s determination that ultimately secured Gravenberch’s move. The former Liverpool manager insisted that signing the dynamic midfielder was a necessity, not a luxury, even though the squad had already been bolstered by the additions of Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, and Wataru Endo.

Behind the scenes, Klopp engaged in direct discussions about Gravenberch’s importance. The nearly £40m investment was carefully considered, but Klopp used his influence with Fenway Sports Group (FSG) and its president, Mike Gordon, to unlock the funds needed to reach a last-minute agreement with Bayern.

Liverpool’s midfield overhaul, which involved months of meticulous planning and an expenditure of approximately £150m, has proven to be transformative. With Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, and Gravenberch thriving, Liverpool sit at the top of both the Premier League and Champions League in 2025. This ambitious rebuild, one of the most significant in years, has been executed to near perfection.

Source: Liverpool Echo

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