Liverpool ‘hold talks with Bayern Munich star Ryan Gravenberch’s father in Holland over £25m switch as possible Jude Bellingham alternative. 

Liverpool have reportedly been in talks with Ryan Gravenberch’s father about a move

 Dutchman struggling for minutes at Bayern Munich as Jurgen Klopp begins his midfield rebuild after leaving Jude Bellingham

Liverpool have reportedly been in talks with the father of Bayern Munich midfielder Ryan Gravenberch over a possible £25million move to Anfield this summer.

The Dutchman was one of European football’s most sought-after players last summer after joining the Ajax first team and then moving on to the German champions for £21m.

However, the 20-year-old has struggled playing under both Julian Nagelsmann and Thomas Tuchel and is now weighing his options.

Jurgen Klopp is desperate to review his options in midfield this summer and is eager to make progress after ending his search for Jude Bellingham earlier this week.

According to The Times, Gravenberch features prominently on Liverpool’s list of midfield alternatives and a club representative met his father in the Netherlands this week for initial talks. Gravenberch’s father is seen as a mentor to his son’s career.

The 20-year-old has started just one game for Bayern this season in the league, making a further 16 appearances off the bench.

He was one of Europe’s most sought-after talents when he arrived at Ajax, and Bayern signed him last year.

He was also captured by the Netherlands, but last year he missed out on a place in the selection for the World Cup.

Liverpool are expected to revamp their squad this summer, particularly in midfield, and they have been linked with the likes of Conor Gallagher and Mason Mount. The Reds are currently ninth in the Premier League and their hopes of finishing in the top four are dwindling with the game with a big game against Leeds scheduled for Monday night.

Bayern, meanwhile, are two points clear of Borussia Dortmund at the top of the Bundesliga and have recently appointed Tuchel to try to get the club across the line.

After the 3-0 defeat against Manchester City on Tuesday, however, they play the Champions League.

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Liverpool owner FSG have created a potential increase in the transfer budget as Jurgen Klopp must best use of opportunity 

Liverpool have already secured Jürgen Klopp a transfer boost in two possible ways and the manager now has to make a decision on a midfielder

Liverpool may not have improved in many areas this season, but the loan policy has certainly brought more benefits than in previous years. While previously appearing to be a somewhat piecemeal strategy, loan deals have become more focused and have increased in volume under Julian Ward’s tenure.

And with the growing number of players on loan so has the quality of the loan deals. For the first time in years, Liverpool have not one but several outstanding loanees, such as Conor Bradley at Bolton Wanderers and Tyler Morton at Blackburn Rovers.

Another to go that route is Leighton Clarkson, who is on loan at Aberdeen in the Scottish Premiership. A historic club, Aberdeen have recently built a reputation as a stepping stone for players who want to reach higher levels.

Last season alone, Aberdeen sold two of their main stars: Calvin Ramsay to none other than Liverpool and Lewis Ferguson to Bologna in Serie A. Meanwhile, former club defender Scott McKenna is a fixture at Nottingham Forest in this season

With such a reputation, it is perhaps all the more impressive that Clarkson has been pulling the strings since arriving in Aberdeen last summer. The diminutive central midfielder established himself as a team regular and thrived, scoring 12 goals in 32 games from midfield and playing in a variety of roles in the center of the park.

Quite a flexible midfielder, Clarkson was always able to score plenty of goals from midfield when he was in the academy, and this was noticed early on by Jürgen Klopp, when the manager made Clarkson’s debut aged just 18. In total, Clarkson has made just three appearances for the club’s first team, but that too is impressive as his breakthrough coincided with Liverpool’s all-time high.

Last season, a botched loan spell at Blackburn Rovers – where many had hoped he would follow the path of Harvey Elliott – appeared to be slowing his development, but he shows no sign of it at Aberdeen.

At 21, Clarkson is still relatively young and with Klopp needing to rejuvenate his midfield options with home-grown players, he could perhaps even be considered a select option next season if he hits the mark in pre-season.