Rafael van der Vaart has reiterated his assessment that Liverpool midfielder Ryan Gravenberch has ‘more to offer’ than Jude Bellingham
Van der Vaart gained headlines when he said Gravenberch was a better player than Bellingham in April 2023, despite the former struggling for first-team football at Bayern Munich.
At that time, Bellingham was thriving at Borussia Dortmund before completing a big-money move to Real Madrid, where he won a Champions League and La Liga double in 2023/24. He was named La Liga Player of the Season for his contribution to the title success, after scoring 19 league goals.
Coincidentally, Bellingham’s future in part shaped Gravenberch’s own, as Liverpool made a move to sign the latter after missing out on the signing of Bellingham to Real Madrid.
After a difficult first season at Liverpool, Gravenberch has emerged as a central figure in the club’s season under new manager Arne Slot. He has been an integral part of an impressive campaign that sees Liverpool lead in the Premier League and Champions League.
Van der Vaart said he was ‘happy’ to see his compatriot thriving and beginning to fulfil the potential he has long talked up.
“I always look at the potential of a player. I think his potential is much more than Bellingham’s, but Bellingham was scoring every game for Real Madrid but a lot of lucky shots,” the former Dutch international said.
“He’s a good player, no doubt about it, but I think Ryan has much more to offer. Now I’m happy that I’m a little right. Gravenberch in my point of view is a complete midfielder. He has everything.”
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