'Seriously': Owen says Liverpool have an 'incredible' player who has tripled his value in the last two years
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Ryan Gravenberch has shown himself to be one of the best players in the world with his Liverpool performances.
The Dutchman has become a whole new midfielder under manager Arne Slot; his transition last season into the No.
6 role has revitalised his career in a way that many thought was not possible.
Since the start of the season, he has been consistently one of the Reds’ great players, but this week it has become even more apparent just how incredible he is.
His performance against Burnley stood out on a dreary day of football; his Atletico Madrid display in the Champions League was of the highest quality, and now he has cemented his best week against Everton.
Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images
Gravenberch’s first-half volley finish, paired with his consummate performance in the middle of the park and going forward, was a sight to behold.
The 23-year-old was awarded the Man of the Match in that game, and his displays have caught the attention of the footballing world, as pundits have lauded him.
Michael Owen, the former Liverpool striker, is one of those singing his praises after what the Dutch player has been able to do for the squad, which at times has struggled in games.
Owen spoke about how Gravenberch has blossomed at the club and even spoke about an alternate reality where it was not him in a red shirt, but Martin Zubimendi, who now plays for Arsenal.
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On a Premier League Productions broadcast via the Metro, the forward said: “He is seriously talented.
I think, he is one of the finds of the last season or so.
“Certain circumstances could have meant that he wouldn’t be playing if Liverpool had got Zubimendi, when they wanted.
He wouldn’t have been playing even when they played Ipswich in the first game of last season.
We were all scratching our heads, thinking, ‘Who’s going to play as the number six today?’”
Liverpool bought Gravenberch for £34 million under Jurgen Klopp, who struggled to get the best out of the player during his tenure.
READ MORE: Ryan Gravenberch made Merseyside Derby history for Liverpool against Everton as 34-year record tumbles
However, now the former England international, Owen, believes he has tripled his price and left his old club Bayern Munich wondering what could have been.
“I mean, Bayern Munich, they must be scratching their heads, thinking ‘Wow, why have we let him go’ because he could be anything,” he said.
“Absolutely.
If he were playing for another team now, everybody would be after him as a new number sitting midfield player, thinking £100 million plus.”
Already this season, he has beaten his Premier League goal tally from the previous two seasons in four games and has shown he has a lot of quality going forward.
While his defensive game has garnered praise, it is his attacking positivity that drives his team forward and forces them to find better space in the final third.
He will be the difference-maker in winning a trophy this season, and if these performances continue, he will easily be the player of the season without much competition.
Hopefully, first-half performances like the ones that have been seen against Atletico and Everton happen for the full 90 minutes, so it gives him a chance to continue shining and makes games a little more comfortable for supporters to watch.