There are a plethora of gifted players currently making a living at Liverpool. World class players and elite young talents litter the team sheet and it is a nice problem to have.
The established stars like Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker are who they are, the best in the world. You then have other ascending talents like Trent Alexander-Arnold, Alexis Mac Allister and Cody Gakpo.
Lastly, there is the group of young players that can become crucial assets but haven't hit those levels yet like Dominik Szoboszlai, Darwin Nunez, Harvey Elliott and Ryan Gravenberch.
Obviously there are more players in each section but today's focus is on Gravenberch and what his immediate and long-term futures could look like.
His positional versatility is a major plus
The young Dutch midfielder can play in a wide-array of midfield roles form the No. 6 to an 8 and of course as the No. 10 playmaker.
This comfortability all over the middle of the park is a huge selling point in his favor to Arne Slot and his staff. The new Liverpool boss, like his predecessor, likes players that can be plugged and played multiple roles.
However, one way that Slot might be better for Gravenberch than Jurgen Klopp was is the manner in which the Reds play.
Klopp demanded a physically taxing gegenpressing style week-in and week-out. This did not suit the somewhat injury prone Gravenberch very well, whereas Slot wants his side to play more with the ball which should be a lot less taxing on players.
A player that can play up and down the midfield with the potential of someone like Ryan is a great problem to have for any club going into a new season.
He is one of Liverpool's most dynamic midfielders
Another reason Liverpool playing a more ball retention style suits Gravenberch is it will give him more time on the ball to truly pick apart the opposition.
His best work so far in his professional career came as a teenager for a youthful and exciting Ajax side that challenged the best of the best in Europe. In those sides he had a lot of freedom to create things as he saw them.
Whether he is asked to carry the ball and drive forward or put through an enticing forward pass, Gravenberch can do it all, especially when given a smidge of time or space. He has shown flashes in his Liverpool career, including scoring a thunderbolt goal against Fulham late last season.
He is not the traditional No. 6 because he can instantly turn defense into attack which is something that Slot should be very excited to see in action.
He can create a lot of dangerous chances in a talented lineup like the one that Liverpool can throw out on a game by game basis.
Give him a proper run of games
As much as we all loved Klopp, it was clear he did have some favorites in the squad who would get a large share of the playing time even if their form or skillset did not agree.
As a result of this, it was a very stop-start debut season at Anfield for Ryan who battled some injuries and ultimately the inconsistent selection process that plagued Klopp down the stretch of 2023/24.
Following his great goal and performance from above against Fulham, he did not play a single minute in the next game, the damaging defeat to rivals Everton. If he can stay fit and Slot gives him a string of several starts in a row, it could go a long way to building his confidence and momentum.
He has too much untapped talent to be wasting away on the bench for several matches at a time. The club must find out just what kind of player he really is and that starts with having the chance to show us whenever possible.
At the end of the day, Ryan Gravenberch is probably one of the most naturally gifted players at Liverpool but he needs the new coach to believe in him and if he can stay healthy in addition to that, we could see the young man hit unseen heights this season.