Arne Slot has hinted that Ryan Gravenberch's adaptation to a defensive midfield role this season has been enough for Liverpool to move away from transfer interest in Martin Zubimendi.
Liverpool had earmarked the Real Sociedad midfielder to come in as Slot's first signing back in the summer and were ready to pay his £51m buyout clause.
However, the Spain international performed a U-turn and stayed with his boyhood club.
As a result, it meant Gravenberch was given the opportunity for more minutes in a relatively unfamiliar defensive position in the engine room.
Recent reports in the national media have now claimed Zubimendi is close to joining Arsenal in time for next season
In an interview Slot said the Sociedad star was identified as someone who could excel inside the tactical framework
Slot the explained Gravenberch's more attacking qualities have now helped him carve out a niche at the base of the Reds' three-man midfield.
In the chat with Ferdinand, the Liverpool head coach said:
"The [No.6 roles] are important to me, but they are especially important for our attackers. We feel we have attackers that are pretty special - the front three - and we've got five or six of them.
"So the only thing we have to make sure is that these players come into promising positions having the ball a lot.
“Therefore you need two sixes who can bring the ball to them. With Macca (Alexis Mac Allister) and Ryan, we have two players who can bring the ball to the likes of Mo Salah, to Cody Gakpo, to Darwin Nunez, to Diogo Jota.”
"And we have chosen to bring in two players who were maybe a bit more attacking-minded in the past. Macca played a lot of times as a No.10 for Brighton, Ryan played more as an attacking midfielder but he is comfortable on the ball.
"I even think the player we wanted to bring in (Zubimendi) - I think that’s pretty much out in the open now - he was also a player who was really comfortable. He’s still a player who could bring the ball from the last line to our forwards.
“This is a special quality Ryan has. The ability to turn away from his man.
“He is one of a few holding midfielders, pivots, whatever you call them in this country, who can create an overload by a dribble.
"Most of these players pass a lot but to create an overload by a dribble, you don't see that much. You don’t see that much as a No.6.
“I think the strength of this team is that we defend as 11. He has two centre-backs behind him, too.
“Virgil van Dijk helps a lot with that too in the Dutch language to make it clear to him."
Slot also analysed the season of Mohamed Salah, who heads into Tuesday's meeting with Lille at Anfield having scored 21 goals alongside his 17 assists
Slot adds:
“What makes him special is he can take the one-v-one on but he also has a great pass.
“So the timing of his pass, like this (assist for Gakpo against Leverkusen).
“It is difficult to defend, so if we inside runs or opposite-side runs, he is the one that pick [out] those runners.”
"He is so clinical and he is like: 'Okay, if I have to hit this ball', he is in the best possible way and his whole body is ready to hit the ball in the best possible way. In training? When it comes to finishing he definitely is [ready].
"During the session or after the session, he always wants to do some shooting, then he is an animal. He always wants to compete, he always wants players with him so he can say: 'Let's make a game out of this, who scores the most?'
"If it comes to 11-versus-11 and it's in between two games I wouldn't say he is an animal but he is doing just enough to be the possible version of himself during the weekend.
“For me, it's mostly about the short term and making sure these players keep doing what they are doing, offensively and defensively. We are trying to get him into that position (most goals and assists in a season). Therefore he has to stay fit as well."
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