Liverpool transfer exclusive: Klopp learns chances of signing ‘phenomenal’ £25m Bayern Munich star as Tuchel makes big call
Liverpool interest in signing a Bayern Munich star this summer appear to be fading with new manager Thomas Tuchel likely to give the player a fresh chance to prove himself, TEAMtalk can reveal.
Reds boss Jurgen Klopp is ready to embark on a busy summer as he prepares to strengthen his squad. And with Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain both departing as free agents, the Liverpool focus will very much be on new midfielder.
To that end, Jude Bellingham is undoubtedly Liverpool’s No 1 target. Any deal for the teenage star, though, will be difficult to pull off, with Borussia Dortmund likely to demand a fee in excess of £100m.
Competition is also ridiculously tough with the Reds battling Manchester City, Manchester United and Real Madrid for his signature.
As a result, it is now surprise to see them scouring the market for alternatives.
To that end, the likes of Matheus Nunes, Sofyan Amrabat and Renato Sanches have this week been named as alternative targets.
READ MORE: The 49 midfielders Liverpool have been linked with in the transfer gossip columns: Bellingham, Nunes
However, Liverpool do have plenty of other irons in the fire too.
And one name seemingly emerging as a top alternative is Netherlands international Ryan Gravenberch.
The Amsterdam-born star moved to Bayern Munich last summer in an initial £15.8m (€18m) deal. That will rise to £20.25m (€23m) if add-ons are reached.
However, the 20-year-old has struggled to find his best form and was rarely a starter under Julian Nagelsmann. Indeed, he has just 307 minutes of Bundesliga action to his name this season. And 14 of his 15 apearances have come off the substitutes bench.
Liverpool hopes of Ryan Gravenberch transfer on backburner
As a result, talk is mounting that Liverpool are preparing a £25m offer for his services. He was one of the names Klopp was considering last summer before being beaten to the punch by Bayern.
However, Ben Jacobs has revealed to TEAMtalk that new Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel will not be rushed into any snap decisions.
And he is prepared to give the former Ajax man chance to prove himself before deciding on his future.
“Ryan Gravenberch didn’t enjoy playing under Julian Nagelsmann,” Jacobs said. “I think that there was almost an identity problem, in my opinion, because the desire from Nagelsmann was to get out of Gravenberch discipline and to be rigid and defensively minded, even if being utilised in perhaps a more advanced position.
“The bugbear if you like from Nagelsmann was all around that perhaps lack of awareness and defensive discipline.
“I think that Nagelsmann, on more than one occasion, and particularly in the Champions League, became a little bit frustrated with the player who himself didn’t feel like he was being developed or given fair opportunities to shine in his best position.
“All of that has led to a feeling across perhaps the last two months, that Gravenberch might be available, because there just wasn’t quite a fit with Nagelsmann. But now that Nagelsmann has gone, Thomas Tuchel will give everybody a fair chance.
“And we have to remember that Gravenberch is only 20. He’s a phenomenal talent, has got physicality, and intelligence and dynamism. But he just needs kind of shaping a little bit to understand that game management. That that will come with age and experience.
“Therefore, Thomas Tuchel will absolutely give him a fair chance. And because there’s so little time left in the season, that is likely to extend into the pre-season as well.
“That means that links with Liverpool coming back in are very much premature at this stage. It just can’t happen right now.”
Gravenberch out to prove Naglesmann wrong under Tuchel
“Unless there’s a scenario where the player is really saying he’s unhappy and driving that exit, I just don’t think he will leave.
“And when you get a new manager coming in, it will be the opposite with Gravenberch. He’ll be looking to make a statement and prove to Thomas Tuchel that he’s worthy of playing, starting and contributing.
“If you look last season at Ajax, he was playing in 30 plus games. He was chipping in with two or three goals. If you look at Bayern now, I think he’s only played 15 league games. So there will definitely be a desire first and foremost, to prove to Tuchel what he can do and shine according to his strengths.
“And as long as Tuchel man-manages the player, then I think it unlikely that Liverpool, or another Premier League club, will be able to come and facilitate a transfer in the short term.
“Obviously, if things don’t improve, then the door becomes very much open. It’s a shame really, in many ways, that this hasn’t worked out since moving from Ajax. However, he’s still young and very valued by the wider Bayern hierarchy.
“The thing is too with Thomas Tuchel is that, even though at Chelsea he fell out strategically with the ownership group, at no point did he lose the dressing room. The Chelsea players, with perhaps the exceptional of Christian Pulisic, loved his man-management and energy. It galvanised them.
“Tuchel, therefore, is a great fit for Bayern and he also for Gravenberch.”
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The article Liverpool transfer exclusive: Klopp learns chances of signing ‘phenomenal’ £25m Bayern Munich star as Tuchel makes big call appeared first on Teamtalk.com.