Ryan Gravenberch's agent talks up surprise Liverpool exit to European giants
- Gravenberch enjoying excellent individual campaign for Liverpool
- Midfielder's agent keen to seal blockbuster Real Madrid transfer
- Barcelona failed with past move for Dutch international
By Tom Gott
The agent of Liverpool midfielder Ryan Gravenberch has admitted he hopes to take the Dutch international to Real Madrid one day.
After a difficult debut season at Anfield, Gravenberch has firmly established himself as a key player under Arne Slot - only Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah have played more minutes than the 22-year-old this year.
Reds fans are starting to breathe easy again after news emerged that Van Dijk and Salah are close to extending their contracts, but Gravenberch's agent has now reignited some of the tension by talking up a possible switch to Madrid.
"He's good enough for Real Madrid," Jose Fortes told MARCA. "We would love for him to play for them, but Liverpool would ask for a lot of money.
"I know they've had their eye on him, but now it's impossible."
Fortes' comments come as Liverpool prepare to bid farewell to right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, who is reported to have agreed to join Madrid on a free transfer when his own contract expires this summer.
Fortunately for Liverpool fans, there are no such imminent concerns about Gravenberch, who remains tied to the Anfield outfit until 2028.
There appears to be plenty of long-standing interest in Gravenberch from Spain as Fortes confirmed they rejected an approach from Barcelona in the past.
"When Ryan was 16, Barca called us," he said. "They wanted to sign him, but his father and I prioritised his development.
"At Ajax, he was able to develop in a way that he possibly wouldn't have at Barca."
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