Ryan Gravenberch may have stepped up as one of the form midfielders in football in the wake of Liverpool’s failure to sign a No. 6, but that transfer priority remains.
Liverpool’s failed pursuit of Martin Zubimendi and the subsequent rise of Gravenberch at the base of Arne Slot‘s midfield has been one of the defining stories of the season so far.
The head coach always had a plan for his fellow Dutchman, but a willingness to spend £51 million on Zubimendi showed his hand when it came to his view of the squad.
Clearly, Slot – and the club’s recruitment staff – felt they were light in the midfield department and in identifying the Real Sociedad metronome there was a belief they had found the perfect solution.
Given the controlled, precise way in which Liverpool’s midfield now operates under new management, it is easy to see how Zubimendi would have fit in.
But it is now difficult to imagine Slot’s engine room without the progressive, press-resistant presence of Gravenberch at its heart.
Gravenberch starting to tire
So far this season only Virgil van Dijk (1,710) and Mohamed Salah (1,703) have played more minutes for Liverpool than Gravenberch (1,687), with it a considerable distance between him and the next-highest, Alexis Mac Allister (1,496).
His consistency in availability is a key asset, with no player making more starts in all competitions (19) and only him, Van Dijk and Salah starting all 14 league games so far.
However, a leggy showing in the 3-3 draw with Newcastle on Wednesday night showed why this reliance on Gravenberch could prove an issue for Slot as the campaign wears on.
Up until his substitution after 67 minutes at St James’ Park, the 22-year-old had played every minute of every game in both the Premier League and the Champions League.
“I took him off because in every game he played so well and this game in the first half he wasn’t his best, like the team,” Slot later explained of his decision to bring off his previously untouchable No. 38.
“This was a game when I felt someone can do the same to rest him a bit.”
The conclusion was that Gravenberch was unable to offer what he normally does in a tight midfield battle and therefore Curtis Jones was chosen to take over as the deepest-lying midfielder while Dominik Szoboszlai came on.
It proved the right choice, with Jones offering thrust as nominal No. 6 and Szoboszlai playing a key role in Liverpool’s fightback to go 3-2 up.
But in opting for another combination of his almost exclusive unit of Gravenberch, Jones, Szoboszlai and Mac Allister, Slot showed that there remains a shortage in his midfield options.
No plans for Endo
Slot himself described those players as his “main four midfielders” when speaking ahead of the postponed Merseyside derby, though he did also note that Harvey Elliott “is on his way back” with the suggestion being that he could become a regular too.
It does not seem to have been an oversight that the head coach failed to mention either Wataru Endo or Tyler Morton, however.
Though they are Liverpool’s only other natural senior No. 6s, they have clocked only 239 minutes on the pitch this season combined – subtract any Carabao Cup appearances and that tally drops to just 21 minutes.
The omission of Morton, who was available for transfer in the summer, is less of a surprise.
However, there is a clear sense that Endo is not viewed as a viable option within Slot’s system, bar late cameos to hold onto tight leads – which, ironically, should really have been the case against Newcastle.
Earlier in the week, the Japan captain told his Red Machine podcast that he had held talks with the head coach over his role, accepting his status as a hardworking squad player for now.
“I think that’s what I need to do at the moment and I’m so grateful that he knows that I always try to work hard on the pitch,” Endo explained.
“It’s good that he came to me to talk about that. To play for Liverpool is not easy, so the manager told me that we needed everyone.”
Football is a squad game and not every player can be a starter, but with an unforgiving fixture list it is also an increasingly demanding one for those deemed first choice.
Midfield still the priority
Gravenberch will undoubtedly be a key player for Liverpool for many years to come, all being well, but the current situation has only highlighted that he too will need his minutes managed carefully over the course of a campaign.
So while Slot currently depends on his “main four midfielders” – perhaps added to by the return of Elliott as a No. 10 option – that group of regular starters will need expanding further.
Whether that comes in the January transfer window or not is unclear, with Slot explaining earlier this month: “I’m so, so happy with the squad we have [but] that’s not to say that if there will be a chance in the market [we won’t sign anyone].”
As shown with Liverpool’s ‘Zubimendi or bust’ approach in the summer, any moves will depend on the availability of the right players.
There is no need to simply bring another body into the midfield ranks – Endo and Morton are clearly considered that already – but there remains a pressing need to add another top-level option.
Perhaps that could still be Zubimendi, with a growing belief that he will now leave Sociedad in the near future, and the prospect of Slot rotating him and Gravenberch depending on the tactical battle ahead is a very appealing one.
But as much as Liverpool may need to find a new left-back or even a long-term successor to Mohamed Salah on the right flank, it is evident that another controlling midfielder is still their priority.
