How an Overlooked Star is Powering Liverpool's Midfield Revolution

How an Overlooked Star is Powering Liverpool's Midfield Revolution

When Jurgen Klopp left Liverpool at the end of the 23/24 season, it seemed like the club had a problem. A midfield problem.

There was a plethora of different combinations used by the big German to try and unlock the potential in that central area.

Wataru Endo was bought from Stuttgart as a short term fix but never really nailed down his place. Harvey Elliott, Curtis Jones, Ryan Gravenberch, even an inverted Trent Alexander-Arnold were all deployed at times - but none of those options were able to turn heads enough to truly establish themselves as the main starters.

And, when Arne Slot was appointed as manager following Klopp's departure, the general consensus was that some new blood would be needed to improve that structure and really push the club on to challenge for the title.

But, in fact, that ended up not being the case. Instead, the midfield revolution that Liverpool needed came in the form of an already mentioned name, previously overlooked and misused.

Ryan Gravenberch.

How Did We Get Here?

Before we get into the ins and outs of exactly how Gravenberch has transformed Liverpool's midfield, let's take a little look at the man himself and how he has transformed into Liverpool's midfield general on Merseyside.

Gravenberch is a product of the great Ajax academy; in fact, he became the youngest debutant in the club's history at just 16 years and 130 days. Less than a week later he became Ajax's youngest ever goalscorer... the moral of the story being, don't buy him a record player because he'll just break them all before he gets to use it.

An 18 year old Ryan Gravenberch comfortably controlling Ajax’s midfield at Anfield. pic.twitter.com/BWyv0XcHNo

— BEN (@SMXLFC) August 30, 2023

This exceptional start to his career saw him deployed as an eight, and sometimes as a number 10, tasked with providing the creative spark in the final third and using both his physical prowess and technical ability to influence attacks - in a similar way to the likes of Paul Pogba.

Fast forward four years from his early exploits, and Gravenberch earned his first big move to German giants Bayern Munich for £25m.

He only spent one full season at the club, though, playing just 33 times and struggling to establish himself as a starter week in and week out.

This led to tensions running high between him and the club, as he complained about his lack of playing time in the media, leading to his attitude being questioned.

The potential was undeniably there; in fact, he was still only 21 at the end of his Bayern struggles. The only question was, who would be brave enough to pay for his services and give him the proper chance to shine on the biggest stage?

Liverpool's Midfield Transformation & The Role of Gravenberch

Well... to answer the previous question, it was Liverpool.

The first season, as mentioned, didn't exactly go to plan under Klopp. A mix of misuse, lack of trust, and some inconsistent performances saw Gravenberch struggle to get up and running.

But when Slot came in, that would all change. But just how has Gravenberch become one of the best midfielders in the entire league so suddenly?

The 24/25 season was where the Dutchman established himself; that came mainly from playing in the 6, just in front of the back four.

Gravenberch was a mainstay at the base of the Liverpool midfield; he was most commonly deployed in a single pivot, with Mac Allister playing in the eight and Szoboszlai drifting in an advanced eight/10 position.

On the ball, receiving from the defensive third in the buildupon the half turn has become a trademark of his, and he even had a turn coined the 'Gravenberch turn' for his prominence in this area... really creative name that.

Gravenberch is exceptionally press resistant, adhering closely to Alan Shearer's 'pressure is for tyres' mantra.

His ability to bypass the opposition press with both his line-breaking passes and progressive carries made him an integral part of conceiving attacks for the eventual champions.

Arne Slot on Gravenberch:

“He is one of the few holding midfielders who pivots that can create an overload by a dribble. Mostly these players pass. Ryan is good in passing but to create an overload by a dribble, you don’t see this much as a No. 6.”pic.twitter.com/xz5rMk3rXB

— Slotoholic (@Slotoholic) August 30, 2025

Despite these on-the-ball revelations, it was arguably his tactical versatility and off-the-ball work rate that drew the most praise.

Slot sets up Liverpool to defend high, putting pressure on the opposition and looking to win the ball back in dangerous areas. Last season especially this was done in a 4-2-4 formation, pushing the highest of the three midfielders, which was usually Szoboszlai, into the forward line.

This placed a heavy load on Gravenberch to be proactive in his movement and step into the vacated role of Szoboszlai to form a flat midfield two with MacAllister, preventing any attacks from being launched if the first line of press was penetrated.

Gravenberch has an innate ability to dictate the tempo of a game, more commonly seen through his technical ability, but is now also established in the defensive areas of his game - this allowed him to be the lynchpin of the way Liverpool played in all phases.

A Jack of all trades, you could say... or a Ryan of all trades because, you know, that's his name.

This Season's Tweak

After Gravenberch's exceptional performance at the weekend, which saw him win the Merseyside derby for his side with a goal and an assist, something felt a little different.

And that sentiment was backed up by the Dutchman's interview, where he revealed a tactical tweak that has enhanced his game and unlocked those previously mentioned forward-thinking technical abilities.

Gravenberch stated that, despite last season being stationed solely in the six, he had been given more freedom by his manager in this campaign.

“We have more freedom in midfield, last season I was only the No.6”

Ryan Gravenberch speaks on his incredible start to the season 👏

🎙@lynseyhipgrave1 | 📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/xrP1PnWhGz

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) September 20, 2025

The license to step beyond Mac Allister had always looked like an avenue worth exploring last season, with the dynamic between the two working positively throughout.

Arne Slot responded to Gravenberch's comments, saying that they needed to stay unpredictable, hence the change, and that it undoubtedly brings out more of his good qualities.

Liverpool have most commonly played a double pivot, with Mac Allister and Gravenberch taking turns to step forward.

This has allowed the midfield to be a bit stronger defensively in light of their more attacking fullbacks, and Florian Wirtz's arrival as a more forward-thinking 10 than Dominik Szoboszlai was last season as added further unpredictability to the middle of the Anfield park.

Can the Form Continue?

Now that Gravenberch has entered himself into the conversations about the world's top midfielders, the question arises: can he keep the form up?

The obvious answer is yes. Gravenberch is the type of player who can make any midfield tick.

If given the trust to have a starting role rather than being part of the supporting cast, the former Ajax man will thrive.

Not only that, but the versatility of profile that Gravenberch has makes him able to slot into almost any system and any midfield role almost effortlessly.

Ryan Gravenberch being one of the best midfielders in the world doesn’t get talked about enough pic.twitter.com/04OrdLCQ6g

— Janty (@CFC_Janty) September 20, 2025

The scariest part is he is only 23, and may not even have reached his full potential yet.

With the well-discoursed lack of players able to play as an out-and-out number 6 in world football right now, Gravenberch is almost guaranteed to be a starter wherever he ends up for the rest of his career.

Considering the question marks around Liverpool's midfield when Slot was first appointed, the emergence of this new midfield maestro has not only quelled those concerns but also turned them to mass admiration and recognition across the footballing world.

Ryan Gravenberch, the architect of Liverpool's midfield revolution.