Liverpool willing to bid £20 million for 21-year-old star as desperate search for another midfielder goes on: Reports
Liverpool are prepared to shell out £20 million to sign Dutch midfielder Ryan Gravenberch from Bayern Munich this summer, according to German daily BILD.
The midfield has long been identified as a major pain area for the Reds, with James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamerbalin leaving as free agents this summer. Jurgen Klopp's side, therefore, signed Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai for a combined £95 million to bolster their options early on.
However, Liverpool have been forced to look for further midfield additions following Fabinho and Jordan Henderson's surprise moves to Saudi Arabia. Top targets Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia snubbing them for Chelsea added to the Merseyside-based club's woes.
The Premier League giants are now in the process of signing Wataru Endo, 30, from VfB Stuttgart for around £16 million. Jurgen Klopp's side reportedly want to sign at least one more midfielder alongside the Japan international before the transfer window closes on September 1.
Gravenberch has thus emerged as a serious target for the Anfield outfit, according to the aforementioned source. The Reds have seemingly rekindled their interest in the Bayern Munich midfielder after being heavily linked with a move for him earlier in the summer.
Liverpool are willing to offer £20 million for the Dutchman, as per the report, although they are to make a formal bid. Meanwhile, journalist Manuel Bonke has reported that the club's chief scout Barry Hunter and head of recruitment Dave Fallows recently traveled to Germany to conduct a detailed check on the player.
Bayern Munich increasingly open to selling Ryan Gravenberch amid Liverpool interest
Bayern Munich signed Ryan Gravenberch from Ajax for around £15 million last summer. The midfielder moved to Germany following an impressive spell in the Netherlands during which he bagged 12 goals and 13 assists in 103 games across competitions for the Eredivisie giants.
However, Gravenberch struggled to hit the ground running at Bayern, starting only three Bundesliga games in his debut season. Thomas Tuchel's arrival as manager following Julian Nagelsmann's sacking in March also did not help his cause. The youngster has clocked just 254 minutes of playing time under the German so far.
It has been reported that Gravenberch will consider leaving Bayern if he is not given guarantees about his playing time. The club, meanwhile, have been determined to convince the Dutchman to stay put. However, things could change with only two weeks remaining in the window.
Bayern are increasingly open to sanctioning Gravenberch's exit, according to BILD. They could reportedly consider selling him for £30 million. It remains to be seen if Liverpool are prepared to pay as much.