It’s that time of year, when clubs begin to announce their in-house business for the coming year. The newest bit of good news is that Ryan Gravenberch has signed a new long term contract with Liverpool that will see him with the Reds until 2032. That’s quite the commitment, even if 2032 isn’t actually as far away as I feel like it should be.
The 23-year-old signed from Bayern Munich for £34.2m in 2023. His contract still had him with the club until 2028. However, it’s been clear, first with Jürgen Klopp and now with Arne Slot, how important the Dutchman has been to the success of the team. Under Slot, he’s played in nearly every Premier League game, showing how he has made himself part of the backbone of the midfield.
About this career move, Gravenberch told the official site: “I feel really, really good. I was really proud to extend my contract at such a big club. So, I’m really happy that I can stay for many more years. I felt directly the trust from the club, also from the manager. The decision for me was easy to make. My family is also happy here. We are now here almost three years, so I know everything already. I’m happy that I’m here.”
Since Slot has taken over, Gravenberch’s position has moved deeper, and he’s made a home in the defensive midfielder position. When asked about this change, Gravenberch was optimistic.
“It’s really nice to play there,” he said. “When I first arrived, it was totally different. And then when Arne [Slot] came, he put me there. Of course it goes with ups and downs but since then I think we did a really great job. I’m enjoying it. I always said back in the days I didn’t like to defend! But now when I take the ball from someone, I really enjoy it and it makes me hungry to do it more. I really like the position.”
The club clearly feel that the best is yet to come for player who is just coming into his prime. And now he’s pledged his best years to Anfield. His commitment to the club made sense. In three years, he already won a league trophy and was named the Premier League’s young player of the year last season.
We can expect to see more of these roll-outs over the next few months. Dominik Szoboszlai and Ibrahima Konaté are two players who are currently in negotiations for a new agreement.