The name Brajan Gruda regularly crops up around top European clubs. Now the attacking player has spoken openly about his career window and past interest, including the name of FC Bayern.
The 21-year-old has been under contract with Brighton & Hove Albion since the summer of 2024. The move from the Bundesliga to England was a conscious decision for Gruda to prove himself at the highest level early on. In the Premier League, the winger regularly collects minutes of action and works on his development. In 23 possible games in the current Premier League season, Gruda made 18 appearances, scoring one goal and providing one assist. He was in the starting eleven for the English side six times.
In an interview with Sky, Grudaconfirmed for the first time that FC Bayern was also an issue before his move to England. „Of course there was interest at the beginning,“ explained the attacking player. However, he didn’t want to say any more about it: „But I can’t say any more than that.“
Gruda: „I want to play for a top club like Bayern“
Regardless of any concrete thoughts of a move, Gruda was very clear about where he wants to go in the long term. „My biggest dream is to play in the Champions League and be a senior international,“ he said. His ambitions are not limited to one league or one country: „I want to play for a top club like Bayern, Real, Barcelona or Liverpool.“
Gruda laid his sporting foundations at Mainz 05, where he made his breakthrough in the professional game. For him, the early move abroad was primarily a question of perspective. The decisive factor was that he felt wanted by the club and coach – a factor that played a central role in his decision. Gruda was also already in Julian Nagelsmann’s senior German national team squad, but did not make an appearance.