Liverpool’s new £35m star Ryan Gravenberch decides NOT to join the Dutch U21s this week – as he chooses to stay on Merseyside and instead ‘focus on his new club’
New Liverpool signing Ryan Gravenberch will not go on international duty this week, instead staying at Merseyside to “focus on his new club”.
The midfielder – who joined the Reds from Bayern Munich on deadline day for £35million – had been called up to the Netherlands Under-21 squad for games against Moldova and North Macedonia in the coming days.
However, Gravenberch informed the Dutch Football Association that he wanted to prioritize adapting to his new club during the Premier League’s two-week break and therefore did not make himself available for selection.
Michael Reiziger’s side will embark on a new European Championship qualifying cycle during the international break after falling out in the Euro 2023 group stage over the summer.
Gravenberch was perhaps a surprising inclusion in his squad as he already has 11 senior caps to his name despite not being picked for the World Cup, while also playing the full game in all three Under 21 games at the European Championship. .
New Liverpool signing Ryan Gravenberch will not appear on international duty this week, with the Netherlands Under-21 midfielder opting to stay with Merseyside to focus on his new club
The 21-year-old moved to Anfield after just a year at Bayern, having joined from Ajax for £21 million last summer.
However, he struggled with playing time, making just six starts in all competitions in the 2022/23 season. He was far behind in midfield with Thomas Tuchel’s side.
He will wear the number 38 shirt for Liverpool and was spotted at Anfield in Sunday’s 3-0 win over Aston Villa.
After his move was confirmed on deadline day, Gravenberch outlined his excitement about his new challenge.
‘I’m very happy. I’m very happy that the deal is done and that I’m finally here,” said the player Liverpool official website.
“If you look at it from the outside, it’s one of the biggest clubs in the world. Also the fans, the stadium, I think everything from the outside is great. So that’s why (it was the right club).’
Klopp viewed Gravenberch as the perfect latest addition to an extensive midfield rebuild this summer, following a number of high-profile exits, including captain Jordan Henderson and Fabinho.
The Dutchman was the fourth midfielder Klopp signed, with Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Wataru Endo all arriving earlier this summer.
The former Ajax man had also received interest from Man Utd and his former head coach Erik ten Hag.
Gravenberch is seen as a multi-purpose midfielder who offers tactical flexibility due to his ability to play in both the number 8 and number 6 positions. A product of the Ajax academy, he made 103 appearances for the club in all competitions and scored 12 goals before moving to Bayern in 2022.
Gravenberch missed training at Bayern on Thursday and boss Thomas Tuchel later confirmed he would be going to Liverpool, with the player arriving in England on Friday for medical treatment.
There were doubts over whether the Bavarian side would be willing to part with the player after a deal for Fulham’s Joao Palhinha fell through, but Gravenberch was allowed to join the Premier League squad.
“He was not happy with his situation here because he sees an opportunity in Liverpool to fight for a place in a 4-3-3,” Tuchel said on Friday.
“He’s wanted to leave for a while. An offer came in, we discussed it. The outcome is clear.’
Gravenberch will probably make his debut after the international match when Liverpool travels to Wolves on Saturday 16 September.
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