27 October 2023 , 07:01
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Jurgen Klopp believes Ryan Gravenberch will get even better after his stellar performance against Toulouse on Thursday night.
The Netherlands international, 21, took advantage of a staggering miss by Darwin Nunez to score Liverpool's fourth goal in their 5-1 victory against the French Cup winners. Diogo Jota, Wataru Endo, Mohamed Salah and Nunez also found the net at Anfield.
The result ensures Liverpool's 100 percent record in the Europa League remains intact and leaves them five points clear at the top of Group E with three games remaining. The Reds must finish top to automatically reach the last 16 and avoid a two-legged play-off.
Although many Liverpool players impressed against Toulouse, Gravenberch was the star of the show. Klopp believes there's even more to come from the young midfielder, who arrived from Bayern Munich in a £34.2million deal in September.
Klopp told TNT Sports after Thursday's match: "He (Gravenberch) is a good player, huh? I’m so happy for him, he’s starting to really enjoy his football again. His first touch is incredible, his acceleration with the ball, how strong he is in tight spaces.
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"He’s not even halfway to where he can be but it’s been a really good start for him. The best part is how much he can still improve on, he has so much space to improve because of how young he is."
Gravenberch is regarded as one of Europe's best young midfielders after coming through the ranks at Ajax, where he won three Eredivisie titles and two Dutch Cups. He joined Bayern in June 2022 but struggled to flourish in German football.
Ryan Gravenberch was superb on Thursday night (Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)Are you excited by Ryan Gravenberch? Let us know in the comments below!
Although he won the Bundesliga title, Gravenberch made only six starts and played just 938 minutes during his debut season at Bayern. Klopp handed the talent an exit route to Merseyside, with the transfer eventually completed on deadline day.
Like Gravenberch, Liverpool are trying to recover from a difficult 2022/23 campaign. The Reds finished fifth in the Premier League last season - missing out on Champions League football - and most fans believe their biggest problem was in midfield.
Klopp has responded to that during the summer by axing James Milner, Naby Keita, Fabinho and captain Jordan Henderson to make room for Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Endo. Liverpool's midfield now looks as vibrant as ever.
Klopp was also happy with Endo's performance against Toulouse, with the Japan international scoring his first goal for the Reds. He said: "He was really strong. He played a really good game, he broke the lines with his passing. (The goal is) a nice next step for him."