Ryan Gravenberch has settled into life on Merseyside steadily, and it would seem that his strong early involvement in attacking play supports that.
In the 2-0 victory over Union SG on Thursday night, the midfielder scored his first goal for the team since joining for £38.5 million from Bayern Munich in the summer.
He became the first player at the club to do so since Jordon Ibe over ten years ago by contributing two assists in each of his first two starts, which came against LASK and Leicester.
With his goal against the Belgian team, Gravenberch has advanced one step closer to being the first Liverpool player since Milan Baros in 2002 to have goal involvements in each of his first three starts.
At the beginning of the 2002–03 season, Baros scored an impressive four goals in his first three starts for the Reds.
Along with strikes against West Brom and Basel, that streak also included a pair of goals on the opening day away at Bolton.
The 21-year-old credited consistent minutes as the key to settling in so fast and described it as an extremely fantastic feeling to open his account at Anfield.
Due to his frustration with his lack of participation, Gravenberch, who made just two league starts for the squad in 2022–2023, left the Bundesliga winners this summer.
In Jurgen Klopp’s rotating midfield, which has so far this season been utilized in the Europa League and League Cup, the Dutchman has established himself as a reliable player.
Although Gravenberch has not yet been named to a Premier League team roster, he appears to be enjoying himself at Anfield, and the fact that he is contributing to the goals will help him no end in winning over the fans.
In evaluating the performance against Union SG, Klopp said the midfielder’s skill was clear and that his good start is pointing him in the right direction.
The Reds’ next opponent is Brighton, and Gravenberch has made a strong case to be involved from the opening whistle at the Amex Stadium.
As part of a big renovation of the middle of the park in the summer, Liverpool signed four midfield additions, which sparked strong competition in that position.
Gravenberch hopes to revitalize his career at Anfield after attracting the attention of several elite clubs while playing for Ajax.
