Former Premier League winger Kiki Musampa admits he would be ‘sad’ if Ryan Gravenberch gave up on Bayern Munich in order to take up a fresh start at Liverpool or Arsenal.
With his 21st birthday still just a month away, the overarching narrative surrounding Gravenberch is that he joined a bonafide European giant simply ‘too soon’.
Musamba, however, sees things from a different perspective. Gravenberch, the one-time Manchester City ace says, would be leaving Bayern too soon if he ups sticks and heads across the Channel during the summer transfer window.
According to Sky Sports, the former Ajax starlet is intrigued by the prospect of joining fellow Dutch internationals Cody Gakpo and Virgil van Dijk at Anfield. Arsenal and Manchester United are also in contention.
But Musampa would rather see his compatriot stay and fight for his place at the Allianz Arena. Bellingham, he says, has made his bed. Now it’s time to fight his way out of it.
Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United are eyeing Ryan Gravenberch
“I don’t understand Gravenberch wanting to leave Bayern. It’s a big club. Look at the names there,” Musampa, who spent the 2005/06 season on loan at City from Atletico Madrid, tells ESPN.
“At his age you have to be more patient. The competition, training and intensity are different. You have to get used to that. His time will come. I would be sad if Ryan cannot muster that patience.”
Gravenberch has only started one Bundesliga game all season. He played just 15 minutes during Saturday’s 3-1 defeat at perennial overachievers Mainz too; Borussia Dortmund leapfrogging Thomas Tuchel’s side into top spot with only five league fixtures remaining.
But, as Musampa points out, there is no guarantee that Gravenberch would find regular starts easier to come by at Liverpool. Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are expected to leave but Jurgen Klopp is still likely to have Jordan Henderson, Fabinho and Harvey Elliott at his disposal.
“In England, he will also have to adapt,” Musampa adds. “And he will have to deal with big players again.”
‘Better than Jude Bellingham’
Gravenberch has been likened to a young Paul Pogba. One Dutch legend, meanwhile, believes he remains a superior talent to even Jude Bellingham, the £130 million-rated England international Liverpool recently walked away from due to his spiralling price-tag.
“What I think is the big difference (between the two players); Bellingham is a step lower at a club and always plays,” Rafael Van der Vaart tells Ziggo Sport. “I think Gravenberch is better than him, in every way. Especially physically.
“Do you know what is most important when you go to a new club? The first two weeks. You have to show in every training session, every training game that you are a justified purchase.
“It would actually be good for Gravenberch to go on loan to Ajax again. You just have to start playing football.”
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