Gravenberch to join Liverpool as Bayern's move for Palhinha fails

Liverpool is set to sign Ryan Gravenberch from Bayern Munich ahead of the summer transfer deadline. The Dutch midfielder leaves Bayern after just one year with the Bundesliga side. The German giants previously paid Ajax about $19.2 million to secure the midfielder last July.

The Athletic reporter David Ornstein has claimed that Gravenberch traveled to Merseyside Friday morning to complete a medical with his new club. Liverpool agreed to a $43 million transfer with Bayern for the Dutch midfielder. He is expected to sign a five-year contract with the Reds after the medical is finished.

Dutch star completes midfield rebuild for Reds

Although the deal was entering the final stages of completion early Friday, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp would not discuss Gravenberch in his press conference. “I’m really sorry to disappoint you. I cannot talk about that, because nothing really happened yet,” Klopp told reporters in the previously scheduled interview. “All the decisive stuff has to happen. It’s Friday, right? If something happens, we can talk about it [after the Villa game] on Sunday!”

Gravenberch becomes Liverpool’s fourth summer signing in midfield. Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, and Wataru Endo all previously joined the club as well. The Reds were forced to completely rebuild their midfield after seven senior midfielders departed the club in recent months. Klopp and company spent around $185 million in total on the midfield quartet.

Deal goes ahead as Bayern fails to sign Fulham midfielder

While the deal to secure Gravenberch will go through, Bayern’s move to sign Joao Palhinha from Fulham has collapsed. The Portugal international traveled to Germany, underwent a medical, and even reportedly took official photos in a Bayern jersey. However, the German club could not agree to a final deal with Fulham in time.

The two teams haggled over an official price tag for Palhinha throughout the final days of the window. According to Mail Sport, Fulham originally wanted around $88 million for the powerful midfielder. Bayern, however, were hoping to strike a deal closer to $59 million. After a series of negotiations, the clubs agreed on a fee.

Nevertheless, there was a key stipulation that ultimately nixed the agreement. The Cottagers had to find a suitable replacement for Pahlinha before making the deal official. In the end, Fulham could not complete another signing in time.

PHOTO: IMAGO / Artur Stabulnieks