Liverpool are close to signing Bayern Munich’s Dutch midfielder Ryan Gravenberch
Ryan Gravenberch could get his ‘dream’ shirt number at Liverpool as he eyes a £34.2m move from Bayern Munich.
The Dutchman’s time in Bavaria looks set to come to an end after just one year, having moved from Eredivisie giants Ajax last summer. He made 34 appearances for Bayern during a difficult debut campaign at the Allianz Arena in a season that saw Thomas Tuchel replace Julian Nagelsmann and dramatic changes at the top.
Hasan Salihamidzic and CEO Oliver Kahn helped finish the 21-year-old club in the Netherlands, but both left their positions at the end of their dramatic Bundesliga-winning season.
Liverpool signed three midfielders at Anfield this summer: Alexis MacAllister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Wataru Endo. Gravenberch becomes the third recruit in the main division of Germany.
The 21-year-old wore 38 shirts with the German giants, but this was also the shirt number he wore in 2018/19. in his first senior campaign with Ajax.
The squad number is known by the Reds and has been held since the departure of Jon Flanagan in 2018.
He reportedly chose Bayern’s number for sentimental reasons, honoring his Amsterdam roots.
He wore numbers 29 and 8 during his time at the Johan Cruyff Arena – during his senior career at Ajax – and six, nine, 11, 17 and 20 during his youth career. Group number 29 is vacant, following Arthur Melo’s short spell on Merseyside. Gravenberch will be hoping to rack up more than the 13 minutes his predecessor managed on loan from Juventus for the Reds.
Thiago Alcantara is currently number six and newcomer, the iconic number eight, Szoboszlai. Calculate the number in pecking order, the departure of Jordan Henderson freed up number 14.
