Liverpool's mammoth Ryan Gravenberch deal forces teammates to leave | OneFootball

Liverpool agreed a huge new contract with Ryan Gravenberch on Saturday. De Telegraaf reports that he'll now earn around £277k each week with a deal that offers around €100m across the term.

It's a spectacular amount and it thrusts Gravenberch firmly into the list of Liverpool's top earners. And that's notable - because it's quite a list.

Liverpool actually have the highest wage bill in the entire Premier League, per The Times, but that's actually for the 2024/25 season. That doesn't include Alexander Isak's deal (the third-highest at the club) - nor does it include Florian Wirtz (fifth highest), Hugo Ekitike (sixth highest) nor Cody Gakpo's new contract (fourth highest).

And it certainly isn't including the new contract for Gravenberch. In other words, Liverpool's wage bill is stretched ridiculously thin at the top of the entire country.

That's going to force some tough decisions.

Ryan Gravenberch: Situation Summary

New Long-Term Contract and High Wages

As of 9 March 2026, Ryan Gravenberch has officially secured his future at Liverpool by signing a major contract extension. On 7 March, the club announced that the 23-year-old Dutchman has committed to a new six-year deal that runs until June 2032. Reports from De Telegraaf and Anfield Watch indicate a significant pay rise, with Gravenberch now earning approximately £277,000 per week, placing him among the club's highest earners. He expressed great pride in the deal, citing the "trust" he has felt from Arne Slot and the hierarchy since his move from Bayern Munich.

Tactical Challenges and Recent Form

Despite the new contract, Gravenberch has faced a demanding period on the pitch. In the 2-1 Premier League defeat to Wolves on 3 March, he was substituted at half-time for the first time this season after a difficult opening 45 minutes where he struggled in duels and received a yellow card. However, he provided a "perfect response" in the FA Cup rematch on 6 March, playing the full 90 minutes and recording an assist for Curtis Jones in the 3-1 victory.

Season Production and Metrics

Throughout the 2025/26 campaign, Gravenberch has been a vital presence in the No. 6 role, recording four goals and six assists in all competitions. This output surpasses his tallies from Liverpool's title-winning 2024/25 season. He is expected to start in the Champions League round-of-16 clash against Galatasaray tomorrow, 10 March, as the club aims to carry their cup momentum into European competition.

Liverpool's contract situation

So one way to balance things here is by moving on other high-paid players. And it's fairly easy to do that, in all honesty.

Ibrahima Konate and Andy Robertson are both out of contract in the summer. Their expected departures clears enough off the books to easily cover the new money put towards Gravenberch.

Though, both would need replacing - we just expect Liverpool would want to do it with players on relatively reduced wages.

Then there's the big one, Mo Salah. Salah is by far the best-paid player at the club. He essentially earns as much as Wirtz and Ekitike combined.

There's a lot of interest from Saudi Arabia, of course, and should he leave, Liverpool's wage 'problem' is fixed in one go. But we'll just have to see how that develops.

There were be difficult goodbyes this summer, then. Liverpool have forced that with their contract deals over the last 12 months and movement in and out is now inevitable.