A round-up of the latest Liverpool news as Jurgen Klopp claims he ‘caused a problem’ at Anfield this season and the Reds scout a £60m target Manchester City also admire.
Jurgen Klopp gives Ryan Gravenberch a vote of confidence at Liverpool
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has given Ryan Gravenberch a vote of confidence and vows to play the midfielder more often. The 21-year-old has featured 33 times since he joined the Reds from Bayern Munich. But Klopp has only started the midfielder in 19 of those matches.
Klopp believes Liverpool have an ‘incredible talent’ in Gravenberch but has rarely been able to rely on the Dutchman due to his injury problems. The Amsterdam native has faced knee and ankle injuries at Anfield which have prevented Gravenberch from establishing a rhythm.
Gravenberch made his only start since returning from his ankle injury when Liverpool beat Sheffield United in the Premier League. Klopp also left him on their bench at Manchester United in the top-flight and FA Cup. But he will ‘100 per cent’ give Gravenberch a chance.
Klopp stated in his pre-match press conference: “Ryan played super important games for us. [But he] got injured in bad moments where he could get some rhythm.”
The Liverpool boss added: “Little injuries here and there. Incredible talent, crazy first touch, movement [and] acceleration, all fantastic. But we have a really good midfield together.
“He will get minutes more and more, 100 per cent. He’s an incredibly talented player and I really think he’s in the right place.”
Read more about what Klopp has had to say about Gravenberch at Liverpool, here.
Liverpool scouted Alan Varela as FC Porto lost to Vitoria SC on Sunday
Liverpool sent scouts to the Estadio do Dragao last Sunday to review Alan Varela as FC Porto lost against Vitoria SC. That is according to O Jogo, which reports that the Reds joined a raft of talent spotters in the stands to monitor the 22-year-old getting Manchester City’s interest.
Anfield chiefs are keeping close eyes on Varela’s first term of European football and have an in-depth file detailing his qualities. Liverpool particularly admire his endurance and think the Argentine fits their desired profile. But interested clubs face a €70m (£60m) release clause.
Porto only paid Boca Juniors €8m (£7m) to sign their academy graduate last summer. But he has so far enjoyed 36 games for two goals and three assists. Borussia Dortmund are also on his case as the Bundesliga outfit will strive to sign a new defensive midfielder in the summer.
Read more about Liverpool’s scouting trip to watch Porto midfielder Varela, here.
Jurgen Klopp admits he ‘caused a problem’ with Cody Gakpo at Liverpool
Jurgen Klopp admits the Liverpool boss ‘caused a problem’ at Anfield by experimenting with Cody Gakpo in his midfield. The German concedes his idea backfired as the 24-year-old struggled to adapt to a deeper position to help the Reds manage their injury crisis this term.
Gakpo has slotted into the Merseyside natives’ engine room for seven of his 45 appearances across all competitions. He made each of those outings during his 29 Premier League games to date. But Klopp scrapped his experiment in December and has kept Gakpo in their attack.
A consistent attacking role has allowed Gakpo to return to his best with eight of his 14 goals this season coming since the Dutchman last featured in Liverpool’s midfield. Klopp also feels more could follow for the forward as Gakpo has the confidence to impact Liverpool’s attack.
“I caused a little bit of [a] problem,” Klopp noted during his pre-game press conference. “In a phase where we didn’t have a lot of midfielders, I put him in midfield. It didn’t work out well.
“I thought it was alright but he couldn’t gain the confidence each player needs. Since he’s back up front, [he] can play in between the lines [and] can be himself. It’s all going in the right direction again.”
Read more about what Klopp has had to say about Gakpo at Liverpool, here.