Bayern Munich identify key area of improvement for Ryan Gravenberch
Most of the summer signings have hit the ground running for Bayern Munich. Some players went straight into the starting XI, while others had to wait for their chances to shine. Ryan Gravenberch is the only new arrival that is currently struggling to get chances regularly in the first team.
The Dutch midfielder is yet to start a Bundesliga game for Die Roten. He has accumulated only 248 minutes of game time across all competitions. The 20-year-old midfielder may end up missing a spot in the Netherlands squad for next month’s World Cup in Qatar.
According to AZ, Bayern wants Gravenberch to improve the defensive side of his game to get more consistent playing time. The coaching staff of the senior team believes that Gravenberch needs to be more proactive defensively to play in the center of the park for Bayern.
Apart from the key deficiency in Gravenberch’s game, there is very stiff competition in the midfield department at Bayern. Leon Goretzka and Joshua Kimmich is the first-choice midfield pivot for Julian Nagelsmann. Marcel Sabitzer has been in fine form this season, so he is often rotated with the German midfield duo.
Bayern’s poor run of form in September didn’t help Gravenberch’s cause. Nagelsmann has stuck with the senior midfielders to gain momentum in results and performances after the first international break of the season. The German coach’s team selection has paid off in the past three weeks since Die Roten has won four of their last five games across all competitions.
Bild also reported on Wednesday that Gravenberch’s agents recently visited Sabner Strasse to understand the midfielder’s situation. With the World Cup a few weeks away, Ryan Gravenberch is eager to convince Louis Van Gaal to select him for the Dutch squad. However, the chances are getting slim with every passing gameweek since Gravenberch is not getting adequate playing time.
Gravenberch’s frustrations are understandable, but moving to Die Roten was always going to be a challenge for him from the word go due to intense competition in the first team. He needs to fine-tune weak aspects of his game in training and wait for his opportunity. The Dutch midfielder will have a big role to play in the second half of the season since rotation will be needed to rest senior midfielders.
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Bayern has struggled to integrate young central midfielders into the senior team over the past five years. The likes of Renato Sanches, Marc Roca, and Mickael Cuisance struggled to get adequate playing time to show their talent in Bavaria. Hopefully, the Bavarian club doesn’t repeat the same mistakes with Ryan Gravenberch and provides him the platform to become a long-term player for the club.