Liverpool told that £25m summer transfer target is ‘better than Bellingham in every way’

Liverpool transfer target Ryan Gravenberch is “better than” Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham “in every way”, according to Rafael van der Vaart.

There was speculation for months linking Liverpool with a summer move for Bellingham following their refusal to spend big on a midfielder in the last two windows.

But widespread reports last week claimed that the Reds have now pulled out of the race to sign the England international as they want to spread their summer budget on a number of players, rather than just one.

It is understood that Bellingham could cost as much as £130m in the summer and .

that Liverpool are looking to bring in Inter Milan’s Nicolo Barella and Brighton’s Alexis Mac Allister instead in a double move to strengthen their midfield.

Former Ajax midfielder Gravenberch, who moved to Bayern Munich last summer for €23m, is reportedly interested in a move to Anfield in the summer with a lack of game time on offer at the Allianz Arena.

The Liverpool target is valued at around £25m by Bayern Munich and he is ‘enthusiastic over the opportunity to steer his development back on track at Anfield’.

And former Tottenham midfielder Van der Vaart reckons Liverpool will get a much better deal by signing Gravenberch than they would have if they’d held out for Bellingham.

“Do you know what the most important thing is when you go to a new club? The first two weeks,” Van der Vaart said on Ziggo Sport (via Soccer News).

“You have to show in every training, every practice game that you are a rightful purchase. For Gravenberch, it would actually be good to rent him out to Ajax again.

“Can you remember any player who sat on the bench at Bayern in the 1990s? You make a lot of money… Nice and all, but no, you have to play football.

“What I think the big difference is: Bellingham is at a club a step lower and always plays. I think Gravenberch better than Bellingham in every way. Especially also in physicality.”

Fellow pundit and Netherlands legend Marco van Basten reckons Gravenberch left Ajax too early in his quest to join a European giant in Bayern Munich.

“Then they all say: ‘Let’s see it.’ You really have to arrange it yourself. Your fellow players see you as a competitor. If you’re good, you’ll succeed, but you have to come from a good background. A lot of Dutch people underestimate that.”