Liverpool manager Arne Slot has revealed that trust has been the vital change behind the revival of Ryan Gravenberch 's Anfield career, with the Dutch midfielder thriving by also playing deeper.
The 22-year-old has come to life under former Ajax manager Slot after struggling to stamp down a starting place under former boss Jurgen Klopp following his $43.4 million transfer from Bayern Munich last year. Gravenberch has been pivotal in helping the Reds win their opening three games of the 2024/25 Premier League season, including a dominant 3-0 win away at rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Heading into the season, the midfield was a cause for concern at Liverpool, with Slot not dipping into the transfer market to bolster his options, forcing one of the Reds' current stars, Gravenberch, to step up. Slot has also been playing him a lot deeper in midfield than what he's been used to in his young career, and that trust has boosted his confidence.
"He has been a midfielder all his life but he is playing a bit deeper but it's not that much of a difference," Slot said ahead of this weekend's clash with Nottingham Forest. "Ryan came back strong like many others, really fit, played some good games, and took his chance but like the others who score goals he benefits from the team and the structure.
"If trust means I play him then I trust him but I trust the ones who aren't. We're going to go to train to get them in the best possible way, I believe more in that than the word 'trust' but if he believes in how we play that helps as well, of course."
Gravenberch has also returned from international duty with Holland fit and with more minutes under his belt. He competed in their Nations League matches against Germany and Bosnia & Herzegovina. Fellow Dutch Reds Virgil van Dijk and Cody Gakpo also played.
Gravenberch's performances have drawn praise from the media, pundits, and ex-Liverpool players. John Barnes says old manager Klopp wouldn't have deployed Gravenberch where Slot has.
"Gravenberch is the one, for me, who has really stood out in that number six role," he told Ladbrokes , the official betting partner of Liverpool FC. "It's a role he never would have played under Jurgen Klopp; he always wanted a stronger, harder, more defensive-minded player, and that's why he brought Endo in."
Barnes hailed Gravenberch's dribbling ability, which has allowed him to run the ball out and get the ball moving forward. He added: "But that role, from Arne's perspective, at least, is more of an attacking one. He wants his number six to get on the ball and be a playmaker; different to someone like Andrea Pirlo, though.
"Where Pirlo did his work with his passing, Gravenberch does it with his dribbling, his running out and his playing forward. He's not a defensive-midfield player, but if you concentrate on keeping the ball, more than winning it back, then you can play someone like Gravenberch in that position."
Liverpool.com says: Gravenberch has been a breath of fresh air at Liverpool this season, showcasing the obvious talent he burst onto the scene with at Ajax but failed to show consistently at Bayern Munich. Arne Slot may have solved most of the Reds' midfield problems without dipping into the transfer market.
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