Brighton is like Müller:
U21 National Player Brajan Gruda is on the brink of a move to the Premier League. Bundesliga club FSV Mainz 05 can expect over 30 million euros in return.
Thomas Müller already knew it in October of the previous year. "Gruda is a Baller", he praised the young talent who was then playing for Bundesliga club FSV Mainz 05.
Müller secured the jersey of the German-Albanian after the league win with Bayern Munich against the Rhine-Hessians (3:1). However, the jersey might soon be outdated - Gruda is reportedly on the verge of a spectacular multimillion-dollar transfer to the English Premier League.
The southern English club Brighton & Hove Albion with German team manager Fabian Hürzeler seems to be very interested in the 20-year-old, despite him still having two years left on his contract with Mainz. The transfer fee for Gruda is said to be between 30 and 40 million euros. If FSV sporting director Christian Heidel manages to pull off the deal, it would be a record transfer for the club.
Gruda's unique qualities: Fine, creative, attentive
Gruda has only played 30 Bundesliga games (four goals, three assists) so far, but the U21 national player is one of the most promising discoveries of last season. Therefore, the offensive player was even allowed to try out with the national team and train with them before the home EM - and Gruda certainly made an impression in Blankenhain.
"When you watch him, you can see that he has something special," Müller said about Gruda in the training camp in Thuringia: "For him, it's now about consistency, he's already far. That's why I got his jersey back then. I found him remarkably good." Nagelsmann expressed a similar opinion. "Brajan Gruda is a very fine footballer and extremely creative in the final third," said the national coach: "He has made himself noticed."
Talent forge in the shadow of the Speyer Cathedral
The gifted dribbler already showed these skills as a child and teenager. Born in the Palatinate town of Speyer, Gruda initially played in the shadow of the cathedral with the older age groups of FC 09 before moving to Karlsruhe SC and later Mainz at the age of 11. With the FSV, he won the German A-Junior championship last year - with a final victory against Borussia Dortmund.
At that time, the FSV had already equipped Gruda with a professional contract. In January 2023, the 18-year-old celebrated his Bundesliga debut in the game against Dortmund (1:2). Last season, Gruda showed his class in the midst of Mainz's relegation battle. His first goal in the top flight came shortly before the Müller jersey exchange on October 6th against Borussia Mönchengladbach (2:2).
Although there have been rumors recently about the interest of double winner Bayer Leverkusen and record champion Munich, Gruda originally wanted to gain more playing experience with the FSV. Hürzeler has apparently convinced him of a different path.
The Commission is reportedly monitoring the potential transfer of Brajan Gruda to Brighton & Hove Albion, which could break FSV Mainz 05's transfer record if successful.
If the transfer goes through, The Commission will need to assess the impact of such a large fee on FSV Mainz 05's financial reporting.
