Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has revealed how Alexis Mac Allister inadvertently persuaded him to pursue a deal for Martin Zubimendi last summer – before trying Ryan Gravenberch in the No. 6 role.
The Dutchman has been a near-ever-present for the Reds during a historic season, becoming an integral member of the squad during his second year at Anfield. To date, the 22-year-old has made 35 appearances for the Merseysiders en route to clinching a record-equalling 20th top-flight title.
With the Premier League crown having been secured with a 5-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur last weekend, Liverpool boss Slot has spoken about his compatriot’s vital role in delivering this landmark triumph. The former Feyenoord helmsman explained how a conversation with Mac Allister inspired him to consider Gravenberch as a candidate to play in defensive midfield.
The Netherlands international had primarily played in a more advanced role during a mixed first season in England, with his Argentine teammate often having been used in the No. 6 position instead. However, following Jurgen Klopp’s departure, Slot was not afraid to look to put his own stamp on the squad he had inherited.
As he looked to find solutions to what appeared to be a problem area in his roster, he resolved to make a move to sign Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi, who later turned down the advances of Liverpool. Speaking to Sky Sports, the newly-crowned title-winning coach revealed that he always felt that Gravenberch had the right attributes to play at the base of his midfield during pre-season.
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He said: “I asked Ryan if he could come back a bit earlier than he actually did, because we had a few games in America to play and I was really curious how he would do in that position. When we came back from America there was only two games left on the same day so there wasn’t a lot of time for me to try something out.”
Slot also divulged that his conversation with Mac Allister further reinforced his view that the Argentine would be better used further up the field. He continued: “I spoke to most of the players in their summer break and one of the things Alexis said to me – and I also felt the same – was that he has no problem playing as a six, but he prefers to play with a six behind him.
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“I think that gets the best out of him, that’s also why we were interested in signing a number six. But Ryan did come back one or two days earlier and that way he could play the Manchester United game in that position and I immediately liked it because he was so comfortable on the ball.
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“He has all the ingredients to play really well in that position,” he continued, as he discussed why Gravenberch has taken to playing the role with such ease. “Perhaps what he could add to his game is maybe one or two touch play and find even more players in between the lines.
“He can take Virgil [van Dijk] as an example because for me he is our best player in that part, finding players in between the lines. But he’s done great, Ryan, that’s for sure.”
Meanwhile, the Reds boss has confirmed that he will soon be turning his attentions to potential new recruits after a successful first year at Anfield. He said: “In the background, of course I did this already a little bit. It’s not like after we won the league, that’s the first time Richard [Hughes, sporting director] called me and said, ‘OK, these are the players we are interested in!’.
“That would be a bit weird if that happened over there. But I think there’s a bit more time for that now than there would have been if we still needed three points or a win or whatever. So there’s a bit more time now to have these conversations.
“But let there be no mistake, we want to win every single game we play. So the players will be prepared in the same way as they’ve been prepared for all the other games we’ve played.”
