'They will go & get somebody': Owen Hargreaves questions if Slot can win PL title with Liverpool midfielder

Today at 02:15 AM

Arne Slot must be finding this new Liverpool gig pretty easy.

The Dutchman only replaced a legendary figure in Jurgen Klopp, yet in next to no time, Liverpool are sitting top of the Premier League table.

Klopp himself deserves huge credit because he has left behind a pretty strong squad for the new man in the dugout.

And, as everyone has seen, Slot has added his details to the piece, brought a sense of calmness and the team is flying high at the top.

In the summer, there was a lot of talk around Liverpool’s lack of transfer business, before they secured some late deals.

One deal that didn’t go through, and it frustrated many, was Martín Zubimendi turning down the chance to join Liverpool.

The 25-year-old had just won Euro 2024 with Spain and he was flying high, yet he felt that it wasn’t the right time to leave Real Sociedad.

In the end, the Reds didn’t bring in that number six that they craved, with Wataru Endo the only specialist for that role, but he isn’t fancied by the manager and hasn’t yet started a Premier League game.

The man who has started that deeper role has been Ryan Gravenberch and he picked up the Man of the Match award against Wolves.

Gravenberch has surprised many with his performance because he has transformed since Slot’s arrival.

But Owen Hargreaves isn’t so sure about the player, especially with the bigger and far tougher games come along, both in the Premier League and the Champions League.

"He has done brilliantly well, but he is not a defensive midfield player, which is fine because when you are playing teams like this which you will beat,” said Hargreaves.

“He is 190cm. He is 22 years old. He has got everything. But he is not a specialist defensive midfield player. There is a difference. I think he is a brilliant midfield player, he is a box-to-box, depending on who you play.

“But I think in a big game, in a one-off game, to go and win the Premier League or the Champions League, I think you need a specialist. Liverpool showed that with Fabinho or Manchester City City showed that with Rodri. I still think they will address his position. But credit Gravenberch, he has grabbed his chance and that’s all you need. He said ‘what’s different?’ And he said ‘just play me’. That’s what you need as a player, you need someone to trust you and he has proven it. I still think tougher tests will come – I love what he is doing, but I still think they will go and get somebody.”