Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel has lavished praise on Liverpool ace Ryan Gravenberch, who has excelled so far under Arne Slot. Mikel has even compared him to Manchester City star Rodri.
Gravenberch has played almost every minute in the Premier League and the Champions League and become one of the leading players in his position in the world. But Mikel feels that the Dutchman should be getting even more credit than he is.
"So because I am one, [he] plays in my position," Mikel said on his Obi One podcast. "When I see a player who’s doing so well, I become a huge fan.
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"And for me, Gravenberch the way he plays, not only defending, breaking up players when he has the ball, you know, he drives the ball forward, he pushes the team forward.
"For me, I like, it’s a bit like Rodri. And for me, he’s been absolutely fantastic, really. I feel like players in your position, like even when you were playing, I feel like... we never get the credit."
Gravenberch struggled for regular game time under Jurgen Klopp but the 22-year-old has been transformed since moving deeper in the Liverpool midfield. He has made that number six role his own alongside Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai.
"There are only a few players in the world that can be a nine or a 10 every single three days," Slot said of Gravenberch earlier this month. That was in the period when his performance level dropped slightly, though it has since picked up again.
"If you look at his age, he might, might, might eventually belong to those group of players — those two or three or four that can do this. But he's not there yet, which is completely normal."
Since then, Slot picked him against Manchester City and Newcastle and Gravenberch looked rejuvenated again. In both games, he played a key part as Liverpool extended its advantage at the top to 13 points.
Liverpool.com says: The fact that Slot feels there is even more to come from Gravenberch is arguably the most exciting thing about him. The only real question mark is whether playing so often this season will tire him out or mean that he picks up injuries at some point.
For that reason, signing someone who can come in and play the role in a similar way will be important in the summer. Another option who can slide into the midfield and perform in a stylistically similar way could unlock even more from Gravenberch by keeping him fresher for longer.
