As the transfer deadline approaches, Liverpool is in talks with Bayern Munich over a possible deal for central midfielder Ryan Gravenberch.
The two parties are working towards an agreement for Gravenberch, as per Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg, and the player has 'made clear' that he wants out before the end of the transfer window. He's simply waiting for the green light.
In terms of a transfer fee, Plettenberg reports that Bayern has laid out an asking price of $33m (£26m/€30m), which would represent a sizeable profit on the $21m (£16m/€19m) it paid to sign him from Ajax last summer.
Crucially, though, Bayern was only able to pick him up for a relatively cheap fee because he was into the final year of his contract with Ajax. With the protection of a long-term deal, he likely would have been a lot more expensive given that he'd emerged as one of the most exciting young players on the continent.
He was named the Eredivisie Talent of the Year in 2020/21, his penultimate year in Amsterdam, and made the top 20 for the prestigious Golden Boy award (given to the best under-21 player in a top-flight European league) the same year.
Bayern's then-sporting director Hasan Salihamidžić hailed him as 'one of the biggest talents in Europe' on his arrival (via the official club website) and expressed confidence that the club would 'enjoy lots of success with him'. The plan was to make Gravenberch the centerpiece of an imperious Bayern side for years to come.
However, the first year of the Dutchman's five-year contract proved to be a disappointment all round. He would play a mere 576 minutes in the Bundesliga, the equivalent of just 6.4 full matches, and his stocks have consequently fallen to the extent that he's now available for $33m, with Bayern already prepared to cut its losses rather than persevering.#
That doesn't necessarily mean that Gravenberch is a $33m player — instead, his value is simply at a $33m ebb. If Jürgen Klopp can unlock the potential he displayed at Ajax, this has the potential to be one of the great bargains of his tenure.
It also represents an excellent fee in the current central midfield market, especially so late in the transfer window. You need only look to two of Liverpool's closest rivals for favorable comparisons. Manchester United is reportedly demanding $57m (£45m/€52m) for Scott McTominay (via The Telegraph), a somewhat one-dimensional midfielder who's down the pecking order at Old Trafford.
Meanwhile, Manchester City is about to pay Wolves $67m (£53m/€62m) for Matheus Nunes even after his underwhelming start to life at Molineux, which has prompted his managers to shuffle him around the team in search of his best position. Gravenberch could join for half the price of the former Liverpool target, and potentially make a similar impact.
It's fair to say that the 21-year-old may not be exactly what Liverpool needs right now — a specialist number six and an elite left-footed talent in central defense looked like bigger priorities — but for the fee being talked about, you can certainly see why the club is ready to take the risk.
[liverpool]