Is Ryan Gravenberch or Alexis Mac Allister Liverpool's most important midfielder?

Last summer saw Liverpool Football Club make a complete overhaul to their midfield with the arrivals of Wataru Endo, Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister.

It's the latter two that have garnered plaudits from media, coaches and fans this season. Such has been the rise of Gravenberch at the base of the midfield he is an entrenched player in the Starting XI if he is fit.

Mac Allister showed flashes last season of his immense ceiling and he has only taken his game to a new level this campaign with his outstanding performance against Real Madrid being a standout.

I'm here to take a look at which of these two players is the most important for Liverpool now and going forward. I need you to remember I will be making cases for both players, so no final decision is being made in this article.

Without further ado, let's begin making their cases...

The Case for Alexis Mac Allister

We begin with the World Cup winner and Reds' No. 10. When he arrived from Brighton for a now seemingly nominal £35 million, it was seen as great business by the club.

He was a key player for an upstart Brighton side where he showed his creative nous and his knack for unlocking defenses.

Even knowing his elite attacking traits, the first half of his Liverpool career saw him forced into a defensive midfield role as a result of injury. While it was not a natural fit at first, you can tell Mac Allister is just a darn good footballer and he began making it work for Jurgen Klopp.

I do believe playing there has rounded out his game so now he can comfortably play in an 8 role, the 6 or as a No. 10. We have seen him shine in all three midfield spots so far with Liverpool.

Under Arne Slot he has been mostly deployed as one of the two double pivots at the base of the midfield to clean things up and control possession. He's been outstanding in this capacity so far.

However, as his game-changing performance against Real Madrid shows, he is probably at his very best further up the pitch finding ways to breakdown a defense. His passing range and IQ are next-level and we have seen him score enough quality goals to know he also has that in his bag.

Looking ahead, he is a proper footballer that can handle a variety of responsibilities regardless of the opposition or other mitigating circumstances.

His dynamic playmaking is a key to keeping the Liverpool attack humming at warp speed.

The Case for Ryan Gravenberch

His debut season at Anfield was not the best, as injuries curtailed a lot of the work the young Dutchman could really do. Yet, down the stretch last spring, he became one of our better players and even chipped in some crucial goals.

Life under Slot has seen him burst onto the national and international scene for the first time since his Ajax days.

He has been a tour de force playng in one of the double pivot roles as a defensive anchor in the midfield. His game reading and ability to put himself in passing lanes is a gift I wasn't totally sure he had in his arsenal.

He has shutdown so many counterattacks and creative moves with his reading and positioning that he has made Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate look even better then we know they already are.

He has also snapped into some tackles this season which is good to see from a player that was dubbed "Fragile" by some. He keeps the ball moving at a rapid pace and has sprung many counters of his own from deep in the midfield.

In addition to all of the brilliant defensive work Gravenberch has been doing, he also plays a big role in driving Liverpool forward.

He's very adept at carrying the ball forward from deep and forcing the opposing defenders into split-second decisions. This mayhem allows the forwards to shift and attack with renewed space and chances.

He's a very technical player and while he may not have the unlimited passing range yet that Mac Allister does, he brings more physicality to the game than his counterpart.

He's a balanced player that is probably best suited as an 8 or a 6 at this point, two roles in which he would be one of the best in Europe at. He very well could be the long-term answer at defensive midfield the Reds have been yearning for since Fabinho's peak.