Owen Hargreaves has likened Liverpool midfielder Ryan Gravenberch to Manchester United flop Paul Pogba.
In the summer, with Jurgen Klopp looking to boost his squad with new midfield players, he added Ryan Gravenberch to his books from Bayern Munich.
It took the 21-year-old a little while to settle in at Liverpool, but Owen Hargreaves shared that he ‘loves’ watching him play and how he was ‘amazed’ Bayern Munich let him go, as he told Premier League Productions (30/10/23 at 2:40 pm).
The reason why Owen Hargreaves compared Ryan Gravenberch to Paul Pogba is because he feels ‘he can do a lot of good stuff’ and he is a player of ‘great size’ and ‘great athleticism’.
The highly-rated Dutch star struggled during his time in Germany, but he will cite the fact that he didn’t get enough regular starts in order to showcase his true worth.
Either way, Ryan Gravenberch will be hoping to have a far better career in the Premier League than Paul Pogba, who just struggled throughout his time in England.
Ryan Gravenberch and Paul Pogba
“He has played amazing (in the Europa League) and because he has played well there, then he gets the opportunity to play in the Premier League,” said Hargreaves.
“He reminds me, Liverpool fans won’t like this, but he is Pogba-esque. He can do a lot of good stuff. He can play in a lot of positions. He has a great size. Great athleticism.
“But I think he is one of those players you will need to specialise in a position, but so far, I love watching him. I am amazed he didn’t play more for Bayern because I think he is going to be a good addition to their midfield.”
Jurgen Klopp perfect for Ryan Gravenberch
From Gravenberch’s perspective, he has made a brilliant choice to move to Anfield and work under a coach like Jurgen Klopp.
The German has the CV to prove that he can improve players and turn those rough diamonds into gems.
So far, the signs are positive for Gravenberch, who is one of the players who will benefit from the Reds being in the Europa League.
Those performances in Europe have allowed him to gain confidence and momentum which he is now being showcased on the Premier League stage, as he proved during his side’s 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest on Sunday.