Newcastle United have been looking for new additions that can improve the squad even further this summer and now a new update has emerged on Ryan Gravenberch.
How much will Ryan Gravenberch cost?
According to transfer expert Rudy Galetti, Newcastle are interested in signing Bayern Munich midfielder Ryan Gravenberch this summer.
In an article written for Tribal Football, Galetti revealed that the Magpies are still keen to sign another midfielder before the transfer window closes and Gravenberch is named as a player the club appreciates.
It has previously been reported that the Bundesliga giants value Gravenberch at €25m (£21m).
How good is Ryan Gravenberch?
There is no doubt that Eddie Howe will be thrilled with his midfield options given the performances seen last season from Bruno Guimaraes, Joelinton, Sean Longstaff and Joe Willock, however, adding depth for their next big challenge on Tyneside will be essential.
Newcastle have already snapped up the services of former AC Milan star Sandro Tonali, but with Champions League football looming and a strong desire to end an over-half-a-century trophy drought will put pressure on the club to add quality depth and provide ample rotation in key areas of the pitch ahead of next season.
As a result, the signing of Gravenberch would present a great opportunity to strengthen the midfield presence even further and also, secure another Champions League experienced prospect who could thrive under Howe's guidance.
The 21-year-old talent became one of the hottest prospects in European football during his rise up through the infamous Ajax Amsterdam academy to become a first-team regular – winning three Eredivisie titles and two KNVB cups, as well as tallying up 103 senior appearances before his move to the Bundesliga champions.
Not only that, Gravenberch – once hailed "gifted" by his former Ajax youth coach Brian Tevreden – boasts a wealth of experience in European football with 26 appearances in the Europa League and Champions League, something that could prove to be valuable at St James' Park next season.
Indeed, game time has been hard to come by for the Dutchman since joining Bayern, but has continued to demonstrate his strengths despite being limited – ranking in the top 20% of his positional peers in the Bundesliga for shot-creating actions, pass completion, progressive passes, successful take-ons, tackles and interceptions per 90 minutes played.
His consistent output in the centre of the pitch has led to Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham being named as one of the most comparable players to Gravenberch over the last 12 months, according to FBref. That is unsurprising when you consider the Dutchman's all-round style of play.
When comparing the positional peers over last season, the exciting youth prospects both shared many similarities in their output per 90 including shot-creating actions per 90 (3.91 v 4.18) in favour of Bellingham, pass completion (87.4% v 81.7%), tackles won (2.66 v 2.54), interceptions (1.41 v 1.17) and blocks (1.41 v 1.71).
In fact, ex-Tottenham star Rafael van der Vaart told Ziggo Sport that Gravenberch was actually even "better than Bellingham" in an interview about his compatriot.
With that being said, if Newcastle could sanction a move for Gravenberch this summer it would be a major coup for the club and if Howe could continue to nurture and develop the youngster's talents, he could have his very own Bellingham in the making on Tyneside.