Michael Owen believes Ryan Gravenberch should be regarded as one of the best midfielders in the world and says Liverpool have developed him into a £100 million player.
Gravenberch was signed in a £34.3m deal from Bayern Munich two years ago but struggled to make an impact in Jurgen Klopp’s final season at Anfield.
The Netherlands international progressed rapidly under Arne Slot last term and played a key role in Liverpool’s Premier League title success.
The 23-year-old has made another strong start to the season and scored a brilliant opening goal for Liverpool in their 2-1 win at home to Everton at Anfield on Saturday.
‘He is seriously talented, he could do anything,’ Owen told Premier League Productions.
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‘I love him sitting in the No.6 role but it just shows you can push him forward and he can still have a big influence, a little bit like Declan Rice, he’s a No.6 but can play forward as well.
‘I look around the world at the moment and think, ‘who is performing better than him?’, I don’t see many at all.
‘I think he is one of the finds of the last season or so. Certain circumstances could’ve meant he wouldn’t be playing, if Liverpool had got [Martin] Zubimendi when they wanted him he wouldn’t be playing.
‘Even when they played Ipswich in the first game of last season, we were all scratching our heads thinking, ‘who is going to play as the No.6 today?’, and word emanated from the dressing room that it was going to be Gravenberch. He’s never looked back since, it’s incredible.
‘Bayern Munich, they must be scratching their heads thinking, ‘wow, why have we let him go?’, because he can be absolutely anything.
‘If he was playing for another team now, everybody would be after him as a new No.6, sitting midfield player, thinking £100 million plus.’
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