Liverpool have announced the signing of Dutch midfielder Ryan Gravenberch from Bayern Munich.
The 21-year-old has joined Jurgen Klopp's side for a reported £34.2m and has penned a five-year contract until the end of the 2027-28 campaign.
Gravenberch becomes the fourth new face to arrive at Anfield this summer, following fellow midfielders Wataru Endo, Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister to the club for the 2023-24 season.
"I'm very happy. Very happy that the deal is done and I'm finally here," Gravenberch told the official Liverpool website. "If you see it from the outside, it's one of the biggest clubs in the world. Also the fans, the stadium, I think everything from the outside is top. So that's why [it was the right club].
"I'm really looking forward to [being at Anfield] and I can't wait to hear the You'll Never Walk Alone song. Now we start fresh again, a new start, and I'm going to give my all for this club. [My ambitions are] to win prizes. To win prizes, play a lot and show them who we are and who I am."
Welkom to the Reds! 🤩🔴 pic.twitter.com/EQY717gsTX
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) September 1, 2023
Gravenberch has been handed the number 38 jersey at Liverpool and departs Bayern after just one full season at the Allianz Arena, where he scored one goal and set up one more in 34 appearances.
The 21-year-old joined the Bavarians' ranks last summer after emerging as one of Europe's most sought-after talents during his time at Ajax, where he worked under the wing of Erik ten Hag.
Gravenberch won three Eredivisie titles while on the books in Amsterdam, but he struggled to get into Julian Nagelsmann and Thomas Tuchel's good books following his arrival at Bayern.
From his 24 Bundesliga appearances in 2022-23, Gravenberch only featured from the first whistle in three of them, as Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka usually formed the recognisable engine room pairing.
The Netherlands international was also restricted to just two starts in the Champions League, while in Bayern's first three games of the 2023-24 season, he played a mere nine minutes.
© Reuters
Following his challenging debut season, Gravenberch opened the door to a move elsewhere in order to increase his playing time, putting Liverpool on red alert after they dropped their interest in Jude Bellingham.
The Reds eventually moved onto other targets before rekindling their pursuit of the former Ajax man, and Bayern boss Tuchel confirmed earlier on Friday that he was on his way to England.
The Bundesliga champions were hoping to sign Fulham's Joao Palhinha as his successor, but a deal for the Portuguese fell through after the Cottagers failed to sign a replacement.
However, Liverpool's pursuit of Gravenberch was not impacted by Palhinha's collapsed move to the Allianz Arena, and the Dutchman is expected to be the Reds' final incoming of the summer window.
It remains to be seen whether the 21-year-old will be eligible to make his debut in Sunday's Premier League clash with Aston Villa at Anfield.
Ben Knapton
