Ryan Gravenberch joins Liverpool - Why did it not work out at Bayern?

It seemed like a perfect match when Bayern Munich signed Ryan Gravenberch for €18.5 million from Ajax Amsterdam last summer. But whether it was under Julian Nagelsmann or now under Thomas Tuchel, Gravenberch struggled for playing time at Bayern and has now been sold to Premier League side Liverpool in a deal worth €40 million plus add-ons. 

Gravenberch has made it clear to the Bayern bosses some time ago that he wants to leave this summer but the Bundesliga giants were never willing to allow the Dutchman to leave at any price. With Ajax set to receive 7.5% of any future transfer, Bayern were always going to try to offload some of that cost to Liverpool. Bayern were hoping to use that money to sign Fulham’s João Palhinha but that deal collapsed in spectacular fashion on Friday afternoon.

With Benjamin Pavard sold for €30m plus €2m in add-ons to Inter Milan, Bayern appeared on track to cover the costs for Thomas Tuchel’s new no.6. But when the deal collapsed, there was a brief moment in which Liverpool fans feared that the Gravenberch deal could also be off. But at this stage, Liverpool had already secured the paperwork to add the midfielder they desperately needed. Furthermore, there was no way Gravenberch was going to endure another season at Bayern.

Ryan Gravenberch to Liverpool – Why did he not work out at Bayern?

Selling Gravenberch to Liverpool certainly ends one of the biggest misunderstandings in Bayern’s transfer history. In fact, Gravenberch, in many ways, draws parallels to another failed transfer: Renato Sanches. In both cases, the feeling hasn’t been that the player doesn’t have the talent but that they were just not quite ready to make the step to a big club. Furthermore, the midfielder never seemed to fit in Bayern's system. "He's a box-to-box midfielder for me, an attacking player," Tuchel said at a press conference on Friday when asked about Gravenberch. "The main problem for him is that we don't really play with a no.8 in our 4-2-3-1 system. And we're spoilt for choice up front, with really experienced players. Ryan is a very nice, hard-working, committed player. He wasn't happy with his situation. He sees the chance in Liverpool to fight for a place at no.8 in a 4-3-3."

Indeed, when Gravenberch arrived a year ago in Munich, the 21-year-old Dutchman was very much praised as Bayern’s long-term solution in midfield. Creative and athletic, Gravenberch looked great in preseason but then never found his footing in Munich. Often brought off the bench, Gravenberch managed just 559 Bundesliga minutes spread across 24 games. But despite Gravenberch’s struggles at Bayern, the 21-year-old’s reputation as one of Europe’s most talented midfielders remains intact.  

In fact, Liverpool were already interested in Gravenberch one year ago but lost out to Bayern. Now, one year removed, manager Jürgen Klopp is getting his man. And Gravenberch could be a great fit for a Liverpool side in transition. Dynamic with the ability to drive the ball through midfield, Gravenberch will fit Klopp’s more dynamic system better than Bayern’s possession game. Hence, should a deal get across the line, Bayern would receive the funds they need to sign a more typical no.6, and Liverpool would get a much-needed addition in midfield.