Ryan Gravenberch‘s performance as a holding midfielder was arguably the biggest revelation of the 2024/25 season, as Arne Slot gave him a home to thrive in this Liverpool side.
Some people are just made to be on a football pitch.
It’s in the way they move, as if hovering an inch above the grass; it’s how they manipulate the ball like it’s attached to an invisible string; it’s in the way they just make it all look so easy, as if playing with the speed slowed down to give them an extra second on everyone else.
An oasis of calm in chaotic surroundings, the 23-year-old Dutchman, Gravenberch – voted as the Premier League Young Player of the Year – is one of these footballing anomalies.
He’s the type of player you watch and just want to see on the ball again and again, operating in a stratosphere you can perceive but never truly understand.
Gravenberch belongs on a football pitch. Yet what is most compelling about his 2024/25 season is that we perhaps found out where exactly he best belongs.
RYAN GRAVENBERCH, 2024/25
Started: 49 (all competitions)On as a substitute: 0Goals: 0Assists: 4Overall Season Rating: 9
Imperious in a new position
One of the first big moves by Slot at his new club was to take everyone by surprise with his use of the former Ajax and Bayern Munich man.
A huge talking point from a quiet summer transfer window had been the rejection of Liverpool by Spanish defensive midfielder Martin Zubimendi. This showed two things, that Slot wanted a specialist defensive midfielder and that he did not think Waturo Endo was the answer.
It was a genuine area of concern going into the campaign, yet Slot had an ace up his sleeve with his plans for Gravenberch, who joined as a box-to-box midfielder and had played in the defensive midfield role for a mere 45 minutes under Jurgen Klopp and only once in Germany.
What looked like a short-term fix developed over a series of impressive opening months into an essential element of Liverpool’s growing title charge and progression in the Champions League.
In the first half of the season Gravenberch was imperious, particularly in wins over the two Manchester clubs and Chelsea, as well as a pivotal draw away to Arsenal.
He was conducting Liverpool’s European symphony too, such as in the wins against AC Milan, Bayer Leverkusen and most notably Real Madrid, against whom he outclassed Luka Modric and Eduardo Camavinga.
It demonstrated not only Gravenberch’s natural class and adaptability but the excellent judgement, decision-making and coaching of Slot.
A masterstroke from the manager
Is Slot’s decision to shift Gravenberch further back one of the most impactful tactical moves in recent Premier League history?
As the season progressed, Gravenberch looked like a player who had spent his whole career picking the ball up deep from defenders, intercepting through balls and putting his foot into tackles.
It all aligned with the attributes we already knew he possessed in abundance: the ability to keep the ball under pressure, to spot a progressive pass and to carry the ball forward into space.
We also saw his aerial strength – underrated given his 6’2″ frame – and witnessed even more of that profound adaptability, with Slot sometimes dropping him even deeper into the centre-back position on the rare occasion Liverpool were chasing a game.
Over the course of the season, Gravenberch developed one of the best central midfield partnerships in Europe with Alexis Mac Allister.
Discounting a one-match Mac Allister suspension, they started together in 34 of 37 league matches, with the three outliers coming only once the title had already been secured.
This points to Gravenberch’s invaluable physical endurance. It is remarkable that in such a hectic calendar and in such a physically taxing role, he didn’t pick up a single injury, completing the full 90 minutes on 37 occasions.
It says a lot that by the season’s end, fans had almost forgotten their holding-midfield concerns from pre-season. Come the close, Gravenberch led the way for Premier League midfielders in interceptions. He was also fifth in the league for the number of times he won back possession.
For Liverpool, he ranked third in duels and tackles made. According to FBRef, which analyses players in the five ‘big leagues and European competitions’ across the last 365 days, Gravenberch’s number of interceptions per 90 minutes put him right at the very top in the 96th percentile.
His all-round game and contribution is shown by his similarly high rankings for pass completion, successful take-ons and progressive carries. In a brilliant all-action season, he was both protector and provider, simultaneously conducting the orchestra whilst keeping the aisles clean.
How can Ryan Gravenberch get even better?
It feels wrong to be critical of a young player however, it will be interesting to see if he can enhance his goal output in 2025/26, having scored none at all this campaign.
That might seem harsh for a deep-lying midfielder, but as Rodri has shown at Man City, players in that role can chip in with key goals.
In a team as dominant as Liverpool’s and with the likes of Florian Wirtz potentially adding to an assortment of attacking options, there should be opportunities for Gravenberch to increase those numbers.
Meanwhile, that red card against Crystal Palace can be attributed to a tired slip of the mind, but it did show that there is still room for some improvement in the decision-making department when under pressure.
Naturally, he is still learning the tricks of the trade in the position, though the requirements of the traditional holding player have changed from the days of Claude Makelele and Gravenberch has proven that he can fit the modern mould.
It will be fascinating to see if Slot does decide to try again to invest in a defensive midfielder this summer. If Gravenberch is now surely undroppable, would it mean him playing further forward? Only time will tell.
Best moment: An outstanding performance at centre-back when Liverpool had 10 men against Fulham at Anfield.
Worst moment: The unfortunate red card against Crystal Palace.
Role next season: Same again, hopefully, while maintaining his consistency right until the end of the campaign.
