I’m sorry, but when you actually stop and look at the Ryan Gravenberch contract, it really was quite something.
Six years.
Until 2032.
And reports put his new wages somewhere around £280,000 to £300,000 a week.
That’s an enormous commitment to a midfielder who, not that long ago, had just come through one of the most difficult periods we’ve seen from a Liverpool No.6.
Liverpool officially confirmed the six-year deal back in March, keeping Gravenberch at Anfield until 2032. The club clearly believed he had become an important part of the team under Arne Slot.
But here’s the bit that makes me laugh.
Apparently this was the player Liverpool decided to give superstar wages to.
I know football contracts are complicated.
I know there are bonuses involved.
I know reported wages aren’t always completely accurate.
And I know Gravenberch had a very good 2024/25 season as Liverpool won the Premier League.
But even allowing for all of that, the numbers being reported are absolutely huge.
And it makes me wonder what Andoni Iraola would have made of it.
I just can’t see Iraola doing it
This is one of the biggest differences between the Liverpool we have now and the Liverpool we had before.
Iraola doesn’t strike me as someone who would hand out a massive six-year contract simply because a player had one good season.
He would want to know exactly what he was getting.
He’d want to know whether the player fits his football.
Whether he can perform consistently.
Whether he can handle the physical demands.
And, most importantly, whether he is actually worth building part of the team around.
That’s not me saying Iraola doesn’t rate Gravenberch.
I have absolutely no idea what his opinion of him is behind closed doors.
But I do know that Iraola has already shown that he isn’t afraid to make big decisions.
And that is something I really like about him.
Gravenberch has gone from £150k to potentially £300k
This is the part that really makes me raise an eyebrow.
Previous wage estimates had Gravenberch on around £150,000 a week.
The new reported figure is roughly double that.
That’s some pay rise.
And remember, we’re talking about a player who was a squad player during his first season at Liverpool before establishing himself in the following campaign.
Liverpool clearly saw his development and decided they wanted to protect their investment.
Fair enough.
But six years is a massive commitment.
By the time this contract finishes, Gravenberch will be around 30.
So Liverpool have effectively decided that he is somebody they want to be part of the club’s midfield for the best years of his career.
That’s a huge statement.
And this is where I struggle with it
I’ve been critical of Gravenberch before.
There have been games where I’ve looked at Liverpool’s midfield and wondered what exactly he’s giving us.
There have been periods where I’ve thought the combination of Gravenberch and Szoboszlai simply hasn’t worked.
And when you’re playing as the deepest midfielder, I think the standards have to be incredibly high.
You can’t just be technically good.
You have to read danger.
You have to protect the defence.
You have to control games.
You have to make the right decision when you’re under pressure.
That’s a huge responsibility.
And I don’t think Gravenberch has always looked comfortable carrying it.
Which makes the size and length of this contract all the more fascinating.
Maybe Liverpool saw something I didn’t
This is the bit I have to be fair about.
Liverpool’s decision wasn’t made in a vacuum.
The club had watched Gravenberch develop for two years.
He started 37 Premier League games during Liverpool’s title-winning 2024/25 campaign, and the club described him as having become a fundamental part of the side.
So clearly, the people making the decision saw a player worth committing to.
And perhaps they’re right.
Maybe Gravenberch develops into exactly the midfielder Liverpool think he can become.
Maybe in three years we’ll look back at this contract and say it was brilliant business.
That’s entirely possible.
But right now?
The reported numbers still look absolutely bonkers to me.
Six years.
Potentially around £300,000 a week.
For a player who still has plenty to prove.
And that’s why I keep coming back to Iraola.
I just can’t imagine him looking at a deal like this and saying, “Yep, let’s give him six years.”
I think he’d make Gravenberch prove it first.
And maybe that’s exactly what Liverpool need.
Not sentiment.
Not reputation.
Not one good season.
Prove it every week.
Because under Iraola, I get the feeling nobody is guaranteed anything.
And honestly, I think that’s a pretty good thing.
Jamie (The Kopite View)
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