Fabrizio Romano explains why Liverpool left it late to sign Ryan Gravenberch from Bayern Munich

Football transfer expert Fabrizio Romano recently explained why Liverpool waited until deadline day to sign midfielder Ryan Gravenberch from Bayern Munich.

The Reds completed their summer rebuild by signing their fourth and final midfielder in Ryan Gravenberch on Friday, September 1. The Dutchman signed a five-year deal with the club, with the fee reportedly around €45 million.

Gravenberch joined Bayern Munich last summer after an impressive four-year tenure at Ajax. Despite being a technical box-to-box midfielder, both Julian Nagelsmann and Thomas Tuchel played without a traditional No. 8 in their systems, limiting the 21-year-old to just three Bundesliga starts.

Even though rumors circulating claimed that Gravenberch wanted to leave for game time, the Bavarians were keen on keeping him at the club to protect their investment. However, their stance loosened at the end of the transfer window, enabling Liverpool to make their final signing of the window.

Fabrizio Romano explained why the Reds left it late in an exclusive piece for CaughtOffside. He wrote:

“Why did Liverpool leave it so late to sign Gravenberch? Ultimately this was because Bayern didn’t want to let the player leave in June, July and early August, as I reported throughout the saga. This situation only changed one week ago, and so now Liverpool finally have the player after a crazy summer of changes in midfield."

He also praised Jurgen Klopp and Co. for their summer business:

“It wasn’t an easy situation for the club after Jordan Henderson and Fabinho moved to Saudi, following free transfer exits for James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, but I think the rebuild was excellent – to get Endo, Gravenberch, Mac Allister and Szoboszlai for €160m total package is something top level.”

Gravenberch will wear the No. 38 shirt for the Reds this season, the number he wore for Ajax and Bayern Munich.

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When will Ryan Gravenberch make his debut for Liverpool?

Ryan Gravenberch will be looking to get his career back on track after joining Liverpool for a transfer fee of €45 million.

Gravenberch won't be eligible to be a part of the Reds' squad to take on Aston Villa on Sunday (September 3) at Anfield. This was because his transfer was finalized after Friday's deadline to register the matchday squad for the weekend's games.

Fortunately, he was able to train with his new teammates on Saturday, September 2, after the necessary paperwork was processed. This would likely have given the 21-year-old time to adjust and get comfortable in his new surroundings.

Gravenberch is likely to make his debut against Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Molineux on September 16, after the international break.