Liverpool's advantage over Manchester United in race for Ryan Gravenberch

Liverpool may have to beat off interest from Manchester United if they are to land Ryan Gravenberch this summer.

With just ten days left of the transfer window, it has been reported that Liverpool are still on the lookout for a versatile midfielder and a left-sided defender.

21-year-old Gravenberch has been identified as one such target for the Reds, with a delegation even going to Germany for 'productive talks' with his club Bayern Munich.

The official stance from Bayern has been that Gravenberch, who was only signed a year ago, is not for sale, but regular reports indicate that the player himself is unhappy with his position as a backup option in Thomas Tuchel's squad and the club could be open to a sale.

Sky's Florian Plettenberg claims that the Dutch midfielder wants to play regularly while adding that Liverpool and United are 'favourites' to land the player, if Bayern give the green light for a move.

He adds that there are 'no verbal agreements yet' with either club and that a move could still happen before deadline day.

Meanwhwile, The Mirror claim that both clubs have 'tabled contract offers' for Gravenberch, who wants 'showdown talks' with Bayern about his future.

Adding to that, 90min report that Gravenberch would like to move to the Premier League and is keen to play regularly in order to secure his place in the Netherlands squad ahead of next summer's Euro 2024. The same report claims that both Liverpool and United would prefer a loan to buy deal, though Bayern would likely only be open to a permanent move.

How Liverpool could beat Man Utd to Gravenberch signing

Liverpool famously beat United to the signature of Cody Gakpo back in January and could see off their rivals in the transfer market yet again.

While Gravenberch has a connection to Erik ten Hag, having played under the United manager at Ajax before moving to Germany, Liverpool still have one big advantage in the transfer race, should it come down to it.

Various reports claim United need to make sales before funding further transfers, with a deal for Sofyan Amrabat also in the balance, having spent big on the likes of Andre Onana, Mason Mount and Rasmus Hojlund.

With just over a week before the transfer deadline, United are focussed on trimming their squad, with the likes of Donny van de Beek and Harry Maguire deemed surplus to requirements.

Liverpool, meanwhile, clearly have cash ready to spend, having offered over £100m for Moises Caicedo only for the Ecuadorian to join Chelsea instead.

The failed offer was an embarrassing episode for the club's hierarchy and has shown their hand to other selling clubs, but it does at least demonstrate that Liverpool are in a position to spend.

While myriad other factors will likely influence any move for Gravenberch, the Reds' financial position could help them get a deal done quickly – the Mirror claim Bayern want around £20m for Gravenberch – with time of the essence in the latter stages of the window.