Liverpool take first step towards deal for new Ryan Gravenberch

Liverpool have their eyes on a new Ryan Gravenberch. They've registered their interest - and things could move quickly from here.

2027 will largely be dominated by Liverpool trying to find a new midfielder, the one area of the team they didn't address this year. Though, they'll surely re-enter the market for a right-winger, too.

But midfield is one of particular importance. The Reds lost Curtis Jones this summer, selling him to Inter and then choosing not to sign a replacement. They're naturally light in the position as a result.

Bringing in at least one senior option makes sense. We'd ideally like a defensive midfielder, though Liverpool may not see it that way. It may be that they want to sign someone who's largely similar to what they've already got, in fact.

Manu Koné can be the next Ryan Gravenberch

Liverpool reportedly have eyes on Manu Koné at AS Roma and believe he could be the midfielder they’re looking for. Koné was a wanted man in the summer, with Chelsea also making at least one approach to sign him.

It’s an interesting one for Liverpool, though. Koné is very much in the mould of Ryan Gravenberch, a player who is very much still at the club.

Using our Value Adder model, no player in Europe’s top five leagues was more similar going forward to Koné last season than Gravenberch. Similarly, no player was more like Gravenberch when attacking than Koné.

Signing him does make some sense, then. Liverpool could snap up a profile that they know works in the Premier League, but offers something differently in build up and defensively.

You’d think the two of them would be a natural fit together, too. They want to do largely the same thing but with slightly different all-around games, after all.

But it would be more of the same from an attacking standpoint. Koné is unlikely to bring anything particularly new if he joined - it would be doubling down on Gravenberch, essentially.

We’re not certain that Koné is the first choice midfield signing but he’s unquestionably on the shortlist. One to watch this season, then, as he may well end up being Liverpool’s next big signing.