Ryan Gravenberch, a midfielder, is expected to join Liverpool as Jurgen Klopp upgrades his roster on deadline day.
The 21-year-old moved from Dutch team Ajax to the Allianz Arena last summer and has since been playing for German club Bayern Munich.
However, it appears that the midfielder will be moving to the Premier League after only one complete season in Germany after Bayern and the Anfield club agreed to an initial cost of around £34 million for Gravenberch.
After arriving in the UK from Germany this morning, the Netherlands international is scheduled to have a physical with Jurgen Klopp’s team on Friday morning. The transfer window closes at 11 p.m. this evening.
After a summer of significant change in that part of the field, Liverpool needed reinforcements.
When their contracts expired earlier this summer, Naby Keita, James Milner, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain all left the club on free transfers.
And as part of the migration of talent from Europe to the Middle Eastern country, club captain Jordan Henderson and Fabinho have both subsequently been sold to teams in Saudi Arabia.
When Gravenberch’s move to Anfield is finally official, many Liverpool supporters will undoubtedly wonder what the Dutchman’s jersey number will be.
12, 14, 15, and 16 are among the available numbers in the current Liverpool squad, as well as 38, the number he first wore at his former club Ajax, which may hold emotional meaning for the midfielder.
However, with Henderson leaving, there is a chance that another player will wear the number 14, which has previously been worn by Xabi Alonso and Jan Molby, two Liverpool greats.
Another sentimental factor in Gravenberch’s decision to wear this number is the fact that Dutch superstar Johan Cruyff, one of the best players of all time, wore it during his legendary career.
During his playing career, which includes trophy-laden stints with Ajax—with whom he won the European Cup three times—and Barcelona, as well as 33 goals in 48 appearances for the Dutch national team, Cruyff won the Ballon d’Or three times.
He continued to oversee both teams before dying in 2016 at the age of 68.
