Premier League giants Arsenal and Liverpool are keen to sign Ryan Gravenberch and Rafael van der Vaart believes the Bayern Munich midfielder is ‘better than Jude Bellingham’.
True or not, he’s certainly cheaper than Jude Bellingham.
Borussia Dortmund are demanding a fee well in excess of £100 million for the all-action England international. Gravenberch, presuming Bayern are willing to sell after just one underwhelming campaign at the Bundesliga champions, would cost a mere fraction of such a fee, having failed to make a single league start since his £21 million arrival from Ajax.
According to The Mirror, Gravenberch is open to joining Liverpool. Jurgen Klopp’s side are understood to be willing to stump up around £200,000 for the Dutch international too; a 20-year-old who’s technical ability and youth should help Klopp restructure an ageing midfield.
Liverpool and Arsenal like Bayern Munich’s Ryan Gravenberch
Gravenberch was dubbed a ‘better version of Paul Pogba’ during his time at Ajax.
Former Tottenham Hotspur, Real Madrid and Netherlands playmaker Van der Vaart, meanwhile, believes that Gravenberch has the edge on Bellingham too, even if the former has not come close to emulating the latter’s impact on German soil.
“What I think is the big difference (between the two players); Bellingham is a step lower at a club and always plays,” Van der Vaart tells Ziggo Sport. “I think Gravenberch is better than him, in every way. Especially physically.”
According to Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg, Gravenberch has admirers at Arsenal too. Van der Vaart, however, wonders if the youngster would actually benefit from joining another club where first-team football would not be guaranteed.
“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,” Van der Vaart adds.
“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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