Ajax Midfielder Edges Closer To Bayern Munich In £23m Deal

Bayern Munich are closing in on Ajax midfielder Ryan Gravenberch who the club have been tracking since January.  The 19-year-old is viewed as a very good midfielder who plays as a central midfielder and sometimes as a defensive midfielder.

Gravenberch has agreed to personal terms with the Bavarians and the player will arrive in Munich to sign the contract and await the announcement. Gravenberch was rumoured to stay at Ajax but Bayern remained constant in their chase for the midfielder and Ajax agreed to a deal with the Bundesliga holders.

The proposed contract is a five-year contract that will expire in June 2027, with Ajax benefiting from future sales of the teen star. Bayern recently confirmed the signing of Noussair Mazraoui from Ajax on a four-year deal. The club have scouted other players who play box-to-box but Gravenberch is seen as their best bet.

The main reason Gravenberch was considered was because of his age. The OnsOranje midfielder will be 20 in the summer and this affords Bayern to plan for at most a decade around him. Known for keeping their players for a long time, Bayern will make sure Gravenberch competes at the highest level amongst his peers in other clubs.

The fee is relatively reasonable as most other midfielders in his position are well above £23m. However Gravenberch is willing to work at Bayern Munich and sources close to the player believe he is excited to work with the likes of Thomas Muller, Leon Goretzka, and Joshua Kimmich in midfield.

Ajax received bids for Gravenberch from the Premier League and also two teams in the Serie A but the player declined the offers, insisting on Bayern Munich when they made a bid and since then his focus has been on joining the Bavarians for the 2022/2023 season as he intends to play at the highest level of club football.

Gravenberch has fast become a regular player for the Dutch national team and with the likes of Frenkie De Jong and Gini Wijnaldum as teammates on the national team, many believe his game can only get better.

The Dutch star will sign before the start of next week and will join up with the Holland squad as they prepare for the Nations League fixtures for May/June.