Romano reveals Liverpool are ‘preparing formal bid’ for Man Utd target with message ‘not negative’

Liverpool are getting a formal bid for Ryan Gravenberch prepared as they look to persuade Bayern Munich to sell, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The Reds made the perfect start to the summer transfer window with Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai coming in to replace the losses of Naby Keita, James Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

But it was the unexpected departures of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho to Saudi Arabia which has made their transfer window a lot trickier.

After missing out on Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia to Chelsea, Liverpool sealed the signing of Wataru Endo from Stuttgart for £18m – but they are still looking for one more midfield signing before Friday’s transfer deadline.

And it looks like it could be Gravenberch at Bayern Munich – who has also attracted interest from Manchester United – with the Netherlands international frustrated at his game time at the Bundesliga champions.

Transfer expert Romano insists Liverpool are now “preparing a formal bid” for Gravenberch with Thursday a “crucial day” in their pursuit of the Dutchman.

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Romano wrote in his Caught Offside column: “Liverpool are preparing a formal bid for Ryan Gravenberch. They contacted Bayern on Wednesday afternoon and now they are preparing an official offer for the Dutch midfielder – they want to try, and the message they’ve received from Bayern is not negative, though they will want to sign a new midfielder in order to let Gravenberch go.

“Thursday is going to be a crucial day for Gravenberch to Liverpool, so keep an eye on this one today.”

Neil Jones, who has covered Liverpool for years, has also given an update on potential deals the Reds could get done before the transfer deadline.

Jones wrote in his Caught Offside column: “There are lots of stories surrounding Ryan Gravenberch of Bayern Munich, and were he to become available late in the window (there is a good chance) then I think Liverpool would certainly be in the mix. They like his profile, his potential and his ability to play multiple positions across the midfield. If the price was right, it would make a lot of sense.

“There’s also Andre of Fluminense, and I’d not be surprised if we saw a deal for him lined up, maybe for January, once the South American season is done and dusted. Whether they would sign him AND another midfield player, though, I’m not as sure.

“Personally, I believe a defender is a necessity for Liverpool in this window, but that looks less and less likely at the moment. It looks like they are going to go with what they have, but things can change quickly. A lot of fans will hope that is the case!”