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Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher recently compared summer signing Ryan Gravenberch's movement with the ball to Arsenal icon Patrick Vieira.
Gravenberch joined Liverpool on Deadline Day from Bayern Munich for €40 million. The 21-year-old wasn't given much of an opportunity to prove himself at the Bavarians, only making 33 appearances last season with most coming as a substitute.
Despite some initial reservations from the Anfield faithful, the Dutchman has had a bright start to his Liverpool career. He has impressed so far, scoring one goal and providing two assists from his three starts across all competitions.
Carragher praised Gravenberch and spoke about his potential during an interview with the ECHO. He said:
"With Szoboszlai, you are seeing the real deal right now. As for Gravenberch, he hasn’t played as much, you are looking at the potential and thinking it could be something really special there. You are seeing signs of that, the way he moves and glides past people. There is something there and, if Jurgen Klopp and his staff can make that into something good, we could have a really special player."
He added:
"Just looking at him, he looks like a footballer: the size, the physique. He reminds me a little bit of Patrick Vieira, that way he glides through with the ball. You can see signs of that."
Vieira plied his trade for Arsenal between 1996 and 2005, where he established himself as one of the best midfielders of all time. The 47-year-old scored 56 goals and provided 71 assists in 645 appearances across all competitions during his club career.
Jamie Carragher praised Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones for his 'Wijnaldum-like' role
In the aforementioned interview, Liverpool icon Jamie Carragher also reserved special praise for Reds academy graduate Curtis Jones, likening his impact to that of Georginio Wijnaldum.
Jones made his senior debut for Liverpool during the 2018-19 season but struggled to break into the starting XI over the following years. Many fans were left surprised after Jurgen Klopp began to start him regularly in midfield towards the end of last season and the start of this campaign.
The 22-year-old has made seven appearances this season already, playing a selfless role by doing the dirty work for his teammates.
“Curtis has done really well," admitted Carragher. "The best way to describe the role he is playing is that it's a bit Wijnaldum-esque. It is not eye-catching, but I think everyone appreciates the job he is doing. The big turnaround that has happened with him is that he is moving the ball on much quicker and is just playing two-touch."
Carragher added:
"That’s all he needs to do, keep moving the ball on with speed. He presses really well, he’s got great energy and is good at winning the ball back - and that is a bit Wijnaldum-like. Wijnaldum didn’t get lots of goals or create lots of goals, but you have got players in midfield already to do that. That’s Szoboszlai’s role."
Georginio Wijnaldum was an integral part of Liverpool's success during his five years at the club between 2016 and 2021. He was a selfless box-to-box midfielder, scoring 22 goals and providing 16 assists in 237 appearances across all competitions, helping the Reds win the Premier League and Champions League.
