Liverpool new boy Ryan Gravenberch showed his true transfer feelings on Thursday night as he was seen jumping for joy with his new team-mate Luis Diaz after teeing up the Colombian for the Reds’ second goal against LASK. In their Europa League opener, Jurgen Klopp’s club came back from a first-half deficit to defeat the Austrian side 3-1.
Just one year after moving to Germany from Ajax at age 21, Liverpool paid £34 million to pry Gravenberch away from Bayern Munich on transfer deadline day. The midfielder had a terrible experience at the Allianz Arena, and Bayern only gave him six starts. He only played in two games in the Champions League and did not play in either leg of the team’s quarterfinal loss to Manchester City.
After being denied the chance to exhibit his true potential on the field, Gravenberch was plainly an irritated man in Germany. And as he celebrated Diaz’s recent goal, he seemed to put his disappointments behind him.
After being given his first start by Klopp against LASK, Gravenberch made the most of his opportunity by racing onto Harvey Elliott’s pass down the wing. Diaz got on the end of a composed cross from the Netherlands international, and the ball found the back of the net.
As soon as the ball went in, Gravenberch scampered over to congratulate Diaz. Elliott and Joe Gomez rushed over to participate in the rejoicing, and he pumped both fists in triumph.
Gravenberch showed signs of rust but also used the game to impress Klopp with his skills. The former Eredivisie star added after the game, “We didn’t start so well, but we had the mentality and we turned it around again, so I was very happy with the game.” For me, it was decent but also sloppy at points; I need to clean that up, but other than that, it was fine.
We have two sixes and I usually bat higher, so we need to improve, and I believe that we will. Lucho (Diaz) was in the corner, and I saw him have open space, so I saw Harvey get the ball and play it to me, and it was a good cross, and he completed it well.
With 16 minutes left on the clock, Mohamed Salah came on for the injured Gravenberch. But Klopp said that Ryan played a wonderful game and was incredibly decisive for us, and that the sole reason for the replacement was “cramps.”