Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp bungled the bag on a “special” £53 million machine.

This summer, the Reds could have landed a better alternative than Ryan Gravenberch..

Liverpool have made an amazing start to the 2023/24 Premier League season, drawing away to Chelsea in the season opener before winning consecutive games against Bournemouth and Newcastle United.

The latter – a snatch-and-grab victory at St. James’ Park courtesy of Darwin Nunez’s incisiveness, despite going a goal and a man down in the first half-hour – encapsulated the mentality and belief Jurgen Klopp wishes to instill in his club, a mentality that faded as the Reds floundered last season.

The club ended its legendary seven-year stretch in the Champions League, reaching three finals and winning one, with a dismal run of form for the Anfield side, with a midfield bereft of vigor and a defense empty of confidence.

After such a disastrous season, the winds of change were bound to blow over Merseyside, with Klopp completely overhauling the midfield.

What players did Liverpool sign this summer?
Liverpool’s 2023 summer transfer window was always going to be hectic, with long-serving midfielders James Milner, Naby Keita, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain all leaving in June when their contracts expired.

While such departures were predicted, Saudi Arabian interest in holding midfielder Fabinho accelerated the outflow.

Inventive jewels Alexis MacAllister and Dominik Szoboszlai had previously been signed from Brighton & Hove Albion and RB Leipzig, respectively, but Klopp’s team desperately needed a new No. 6.

Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia were both chased by Chelsea in a high-profile recruitment war, but the wealthy London club won on both occasions, leaving the din of the alarm bells reverberating around Anfield.

The astute signing of 30-year-old defensive midfielder Wataru Endo from Stuttgart for £16m filled the vacuum, and Liverpool completed their business by completing a £34m transfer for dynamic ace Ryan Gravenberch from Bayern Munich, a long-standing midfield goal.

Should Ryan Gravenberch have been signed by Liverpool?
Gravenberch’s late acquisition was a must-do; failing to do so would have been disastrous.

Despite a lackluster season in Germany that resulted in only three league starts, European football specialist Andy Brassell believes “the potential there is huge.”

Bayern Munich manager Thomas Tuchel admitted that the player just did not suit the system at the Allianz Arena, and there is now an ideal opportunity for the ace to emerge to prominence on English soil, playing a vital role in Liverpool’s resurgence following a difficult season.

While Gravenberch does not fit the mold of a specialist No. 6 – a natural defensive midfielder – he does have an all-encompassing midfield skill set that Klopp, who has termed the 6 foot 3 machine a “exceptional talent,” will now aim to mold to his own creation.

To emphasize this, FBref rates the 11-cap international in the top 4% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for shot-creating actions, as well as in the top 20% for total shots taken, progressive passes, successful take-ons, and tackles per 90 minutes.

His problems with Bayern, however, show a lack of trust among multiple managers, with Julien Nagelsmann and Thomas Tuchel both unwilling to give him a regular part in the team, despite the club’s struggles last season.

There are numerous reasons to support the managers’ decision to keep Gravenberch on the bench; Nagelsmann was allegedly dissatisfied with Gravenberch’s lack of defensive application, while Tuchel, despite recognizing his stunning “qualities,” quickly concluded that the ace was not fit for a defensive role at the base of the midfield.

While Liverpool have signed an exciting prospect, once dubbed the Netherlands’ “greatest talent” by ex-Ajax star Wim Kieft, Gravenberch may not be the best fit for Klopp’s side ahead of a vital season, with former top aim