Bayern Regrets Selling Ryan Gravenberch!
At Bayern Munich, there have been many victories and defeats, but perhaps one of the club’s biggest “losses” in recent memory was the decision to sell Ryan Gravenberch in 2023.
According to reports, despite a not-so-brilliant first season at Liverpool, the presence of Arne Slot as head coach has transformed this Dutch midfielder into a Premier League-winning superstar. This former Ajax prodigy is now the third most trusted player by Liverpool’s manager this season.
The €40 million transfer fee for his sale will undoubtedly haunt Bayern’s decision-makers in the coming years.
While Gravenberch was overlooked by former coach Thomas Tuchel, he has been revived as a world-class defensive midfielder at Anfield. Considering João Palhinha’s failed move to Munich, this is seen as a major transfer blunder. In fact, the €51 million spent on the Portuguese player should also be added to Bayern’s list of costly mistakes.
Christian Falk, a renowned German journalist, says: “Of course, there is regret within the club for selling Ryan Gravenberch. The club knew his potential, but he needed playing time—something he got at Liverpool but was never going to get at Bayern.”
“Tuchel saw Gravenberch more in attacking roles, perhaps as a number 10 or attacking midfielder number 8. But this season has proven that the Dutchman can easily play as a defensive midfielder. If Tuchel had seen this, Bayern would never have spent €51 million on Palhinha. This is still very painful. Credit must be given to Marco Neppe and Hasan Salihamidžić for signing Gravenberch, but you need a coach who trusts the player and counts on him. In the end, when a player can perform like this at Liverpool, it’s clear a mistake was made.”
Fortunately for Bayern, the club no longer needs to buy a new defensive midfielder in the transfer market. It seems that academy player Aleksandar Pavlović will be the main solution for Vincent Kompany’s team in the future. In fact, whenever he has been ready to play, the Belgian coach has regularly used him alongside Joshua Kimmich. However, the regret over the mismanagement of Ryan Gravenberch’s case will remain. But this mistake may have paved the way for Pavlović, a homegrown player, to shine in midfield.
