Nagelsmann: Gravenberch needed to 'step up' in final 20 minutes

Julian Nagelsmann has explained why Ryan Gravenberch failed to make an impact during his single season at Bayern Munich. The Germany manager said the Dutch midfielder struggled to adapt to a substitute role, lacking the rhythm needed to change games in the final 20 minutes before his move to Liverpool.

At Bayern the midfield pecking order — Leon Goretzka and Joshua Kimmich — made regular starts hard to come by, and the emergence of Aleksandar Pavlović added further competition. Nagelsmann said Gravenberch's task was to "step up his game in the last 20 minutes." Averaging just 28 minutes per game across his 33 appearances in Germany, the short windows were not enough for him to build momentum.

Nagelsmann argued the midfielder's strengths required a full match to influence tempo, unlike players who can "give their all" in 20-minute cameos to maintain a result or chase a goal.

Germany, Munich

julian nagelsmann, ryan gravenberch, bayern munich, liverpool, substitute role, midfield, leon goretzka, joshua kimmich, aleksandar pavlović, 20 minutes