Van der Vaart on Ryan Gravenberch potential amid Zubimendi interest

There will surely only be a small minority of critics keen to undermine Rafael van der Vaart’s clear affection for Ryan Gravenberch.

The Dutchman has been in largely sensational form for Liverpool since Arne Slot took over the reins from Jurgen Klopp in the summer.

As such, praise has flown as freely as the former Bayern Munich man’s high-quality performances for club and country.

It’s not hard to see why Van der Vaart is now on record as saying, ‘I see a lot of potential in him’.

Ryan Gravenberch has so much potential

How many fans had ‘Ryan Gravenberch – player of the season’ on their bingo cards at the start of the 2024/25 campaign? Very few, we’d wager, after his debut season in English football!

Nonetheless, a switch to a deep-lying role under Slot has since seen our No.38 thrive and catch the eye of his compatriot.

“He’s my type of player. I love him. He’s a player I like to watch. I see a lot of potential in him. If he gains confidence and has the right trainer… With Arne Slot he has the perfect trainer,” Van der Vaart told Voetbal Primeur.

Has Ryan Gravenberch been Liverpool’s player of the season?

There can be no question that the likes of Mo Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold look rejuvenated this term.

You could certainly make the case that either of the pair, or perhaps even Virgil van Dijk or Luis Diaz have been Liverpool’s strongest outfielder.

It would be incredibly remiss of us, however, to not consider the contributions of Ryan Gravenberch – a player not initially deemed suitable to hold down the mantle of our go-to holding midfielder.

Sofascore have ranked the Dutchman as our fifth-best performer this season behind Ibrahima Konate, our No.4, our Colombian, and Salah (in that order based on Premier League outings).

We reckon our attackers have been benefitting from their attacking contributions, which can at least slightly skew statistical ratings. So, in our view, our 2023 signing should be considered more favourably judging by his contributions this term.

Does Ryan Gravenberch need to worry about Martin Zubimendi?

There’s a possibility that Liverpool could go back in for Martin Zubimendi in the January transfer window.

However, that eventuality clearly relies on Richard Hughes and his recruitment department being given a clear signal of the Spaniard’s intention to leave Real Sociedad. Meanwhile, reports elsewhere indicate it’s unlikely the 25-year-old will change his mind.

Even should the stars align to see our summer transfer target link up with Arne Slot in the winter, it would be outrageous to see Gravenberch shunted to one side to make room.

Either way, there are surely more than enough games to go around to keep both satisfied and hungry.