Ex-Liverpool star raises Ryan Gravenberch concern amid Alexis Mac Allister comparison

Former Liverpool defender Glen Johnson has raised concerns over Ryan Gravenberch's ability to play as a No. 6 for the whole season.

The Dutch midfielder has been a player transformed under Arne Slot after taking on the more defensive role this season and has been arguably the player of the match in a number of games so far this campaign.

However, the 22-year-old is merely a stand-in until Liverpool finds a new defensive midfielder, with Wataru Endo not quite cutting it for new manager Slot since he took over the reins from Jurgen Klopp during the summer.

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The Reds also missed out on top transfer target Martin Zubimendi of Real Sociedad to leave them with the ultimate conundrum of how to solve their No. 6 crisis - to which Gravenberch has been converted from his more familiar central midfield role.

But Johnson is concerned he will find it hard to accept in the long-term that he cannot be as high up the pitch as he'd like to be, telling Betfred : “I think Ryan could occupy that area in the meantime but when a player is better going forward, then it’s difficult for them mentally to sacrifice that for an entire season.

"In their blood, they want to get forward and overtime you can see them being out of position more often. However, he’s doing a great job in that role at the moment. I’ve been impressed by what I’ve seen of him this season and he’s obviously a great player, but I believe he offers more going forward.”

“It’s a bit like what we saw last season with Alexis Mac Allister because even though he’s also very good going forward, he has a great footballing brain and is capable of occupying other areas.”

Mac Allister has so far been positioned alongside Gravenberch in a double-pivot, with Dominik Szoboszlai sitting slightly further ahead of them in a more advanced role, yet everything seems to have worked so far for Slot and his players.

Playing as a No.6 might not be Gravenberch's preferred position but it has so far improved his performances drastically and afforded him more regular game time than what he had last season. On top of this, it earned him a starting spot in the Netherlands national team.

Liverpool remains on the hunt for a new defensive midfielder but whether that is more likely to come next summer, rather than in January, remains to be seen. As for now, though, Gravenberch is doing a commendable job and is yet to show any real signs of discontent in his new role.