Liverpool have reportedly reached an agreement with Bayern Munich to sign midfielder Ryan Gravenberch.
Jurgen Klopp is keen to further bolster his midfield options before the summer transfer window closes in England on Friday evening, despite having already signed Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexi Mac Allister and Wataru Endo.
Gravenberch is thought to have been on Liverpool’s radar for some time and has been widely linked with a move away from the Allianz Arena this summer.
The 21-year-old joined Bayern from Ajax last summer for an initial €18 million fee, but he struggled to establish himself as a regular starter under either Julian Nagelsmann or Thomas Tuchel last season.
Gravenberch started just three of his 24 Bundesliga games last season, with Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka favoured ahead of him in central midfield.
The summer arrivals of Konrad Laimer and versatile full-back Raphael Guerreiro, who can also play in midfield, have pushed Gravenberch further down the pecking order, and the Dutchman is now keen to leave Bayern in search of regular first-team football.
Both Liverpool and Manchester United have recently been credited with an interest in Gravenberch, but the former appear to have won the race for his signature as The Athletic reports that Klopp’s side have agreed a fixed fee of €40m (£34.2m) with Bayern to sign the midfielder.
According to the source, the Netherlands international will go to Liverpool on Thursday night before having a physical on transfer deadline day.
According to reports, the transaction was negotiated by the player’s representative Jose Fortes Rodriguez from Raiola, and Gravenberch is set to sign a long-term contract with Liverpool after agreeing on personal terms.
Jorg Schmadtke, Liverpool’s newly recruited sporting director, is also thought to have played a role in the purchase. He previously worked for the German clubs Wolfsburg, Koln, and Hannover.
The Reds have opted to step up their pursuit of Gravenberch at this late stage in the transfer window after missing out on primary targets including Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia, who have both joined Chelsea.
Gravenberch’s expected departure from the Allianz Arena comes at a time when Bayern are actively pursuing a big-money move for Fulham midfielder Joao Palhinha.
Tuchel is believed to be keen to sign a new defensive midfielder before the transfer window closes, and a recent report claims that the Bundesliga giants have submitted a £50m bid for the Portugal international.
It remains to be seen whether the expected arrival of Gravenberch at Liverpool will conclude their transfer business this summer, but Klopp could enter the market for a new defender having allowed Nat Phillips to join Celtic on loan, while Ibrahima Konate is currently sidelined through injury.
