Liverpool could have the next Ryan Gravenberch coming through and Arne Slot already loves him - opinion
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Liverpool have a habit of producing top talent and they might just have the next one to dominate the midfield for years to come.The Reds have one of the most prestigious academies in England and many of their stars either go on to play for the first-team or enjoy a fruitful career abroad.Despite spending a lot of money to bring in the best ready-made stars this summer, they have still put faith in their youth by inserting buy-back clauses into their contracts or just sending them out on loan.The latter is exactly what they have done with one star in particular in the hope that he will be ready soon to get his big chance, and all the signs are there to suggest he could get it soon.He has also just admitted his admiration for Ryan Gravenberch, suggesting that once he gets his big break, he might just take it like the Dutchman did.Photo by Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty ImagesJames McConnell idolises Ryan GravenberchWhen Gravenberch originally came in as a number eight, he did not quite look like a ‘Liverpool player’, with Jurgen Klopp not being the biggest of fans.However, as soon as Arne Slot came in, he moved him back into a holding midfielder role, something that has changed the trajectory of his career for good.In fact, he has been so impressive that Slot has tried it with other players too, with 21-year-old James McConnell also doing exactly the same.The Englishman is currently on loan at Ajax to get some valuable minutes, and while playing for Gravenberch’s first club, he has admitted just how much he looks up to him.“I paid a lot of attention to Ryan Gravenberch last year,” he told Voetbal International.“Because he’s actually the type of number six I aspire to be. He’s fantastic at breaking through the lines with his runs, which is also a strength of mine, to a lesser extent.READ MORE: Kenny Dalglish names ‘brilliant’ Liverpool star as the best he has ever played with“And he’s also gone from a number 8 to a number 6, just like me.
In that respect, he’s an inspiration to me, so to speak.“Playing with him, seeing up close how he claims the ball, how brave he is, how much he’s improved his defensive work, is also something to learn from.”Arne Slot is a big fan of James McConnellMcConnell is very highly-rated at Liverpool to the point where Slot did not want him to go out on loan due to just how good he had been.However, over the summer, plans changed which allowed him to get some valuable minutes, with the 21-year-old expected to fight for his place in the team in the near future.He has not had the best start to life at Ajax, though, with former Liverpool assistant manager John Heitinga giving him just 23 minutes worth of game time so far.Slight injuries may have played a role in this, so once he is back fit, Slot will be hoping he really announces himself on the biggest stage.