"He is technically incredibly good" - Jurgen Klopp heaps praises on Liverpool summer signing ahead of Brighton fixture

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp hailed Ryan Gravenberch for his impact at the club during the Brighton & Hove Albion pre-match press conference today (October 6).

The Reds signed Gravenberch from Bayern Munich for €40 million on a five-year deal on Deadline Day. Some fans were unsure about the acquisition due to the 21-year-old being unable to break into Bayern Munich's starting XI last season.

Despite shining for Ajax between 2018 and 2022, Gravenberch only made 33 appearances last season for the Bavarians, with most being off the bench. The Dutchman is traditionally a box-to-box midfielder, a position Thomas Tuchel's system doesn't cater to.

Fortunately, Gravenberch has made a bright start to his Liverpool career. He has scored one goal and provided two assists in three starts across all competitions, netting his maiden goal against Union Saint-Gilloise last night (October 5) in the Europa League.

Klopp said (via Liverpool's official website):

He is technically incredibly good, the first touch is insane. The speed-up is top-class. Really good shooter, which we saw with the Darwin [Nunez] goal which was disallowed [v Union]; but the ball was a fire ball before. e’s a really good player."

He added:

"Yes, he came late and yes, we play slightly different and yes, that needs time to adapt and that’s what we can give him, thank God. And he’s completely happy with it and is in the group and he realised in each training session that he gets treated exactly like all the others if he starts or not, he gets even a [bit] more information in specific moments."

The German concluded:

"He can see what the other boys do in similar positions, he can watch it, he learns from it, he’s a smart boy. So, everything goes in the right direction, that’s really, really nice to see. Assists in the other games and now he has his first goal. It’s good – long may it continue. Very important for us."

With Curtis Jones suspended for the upcoming game against Brighton, Gravenberch will be hoping to make his first Premier League start against the Seagulls.

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Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp provides injury update on Cody Gakpo

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp also provided an injury update on Cody Gakpo during the pre-match press conference. The German tactician was optimistic that the 24-year-old will be available after the upcoming international break.

Gakpo suffered a knee injury during the Reds' 2-1 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur last weekend after scoring the equalizer. Fortunately, he was able to escape any serious damage and is only expected to be sidelined for a few weeks.

Speaking about Gakpo's availability, Klopp said:

“Cody, there is a good chance. He is already out of the brace, walks normal around, so from all the very, very bad opportunities and possibilities injury-wise, I think he nearly got the best but is still injured.”

The Liverpool No. 18 has scored three goals in eight appearances this season and has been impressive upfront, competing with Darwin Nunez. He will be hoping to make a return against Everton on October 21 after the international break.