Liverpool star is compared to AC Milan and Juventus legend Andrea Pirlo

Liverpool midfielder Ryan Gravenberch has been compared to Italian icon Andrea Pirlo by club legend John Barnes.

Gravenberch was Jurgen Klopp’s last signing as Liverpool manager, joining from Bayern Munich for £34.2m (according to Sky Sports) at the end of the 2023 summer transfer window.

However, the 13-time Dutch international struggled to make an immediate impact at Anfield, starting just 12 Premier League games and playing 90 minutes once.

But Gravenberch looked reborn at the start of this season under new manager Arne Slot, who deployed the 22-year-old in a No.6 role; a stark contrast to the box-to-box role he was previously known for.

Gravenberch is second only to Virgil van Dijk among Liverpool players for completed passes in the Premier League this season, with only Mohamed Salah and Dominik Szobszlai being the best for completed passes in the final third of the game.

The former Ajax star player made such an impression that he was recalled to the Dutch national team by former Reds defender Jamie Carragher and compared to Patrick Vieira.

Liverpool star Gravenberch compared to Pirlo

Vieira isn’t the only midfield legend Gravenberch is currently being compared to.

Former Liverpool winger Barnes believes Slot’s use of Gravenberch as a No.6 is similar to the way Pirlo mastered the position, despite not being known for his defensive prowess.

“Playing Ryan Gravenberch as a number 6 is a bit like playing Pirlo as a number 6. A different type of player, but more attacking, more comfortable on the ball than a hard-working, difficult, strong defensive midfielder,” Barnes told The Rest Is Football.