Brajan Gruda celebrates. The 19-year-old Mainz talent has been outstanding in the Bundesliga this … [+]
There is a fun story involving Mainz talent Brajan Gruda and Bayern Munich star Thomas Müller. Gruda had a fantastic game against Bayern last weekend and then exchanged jerseys with the 34-year-old German football legend. Müller was then spotted wearing the Gruda jersey, celebrating Bayern’s 3-1 win at Mainz in front of the visiting fans at the Mewa Arena.
“Thank you for [Brajan Gruda] for your shirt – keep on working hard, my friend,” Müller then posted on Instagram after the game. A post like that, by no less than Müller, is the equivalent of being knighted in German football.
It also highlighted something else. Nobody knows the game better than footballers. They can tell quickly when somebody is real or not. In this case, Müller has quickly recognized that Mainz’s 19-year-old attacking midfielder is a true talent—perhaps even one of the biggest talents in German football.
Müller also ensured that if you haven’t paid attention yet to Gruda, then you should. After all, the attacking midfielder has scored one goal and one assist in seven Bundesliga games this season. That assist came against nobody less than Bayern Munich, mind you.
According to Wyscout, Gruda completed 80% of his 30 passes against Bayern, 70% of his ten dribbles, and won 68% of his duels. Of his 71 actions overall, Gruda managed to complete 62%. Mainz may have lost that game, but the 19-year-old attacking midfielder put in an impressive shift.
Game knows game, Thomas Müller pictured sporting Brajan Gruda’s jersey after his club’s 3-1 win over … [+]
In fact, among all Bundesliga players, Gruda is fifth with 3.07 deep completions per 90 minutes. The only players ahead of him are Florian Wirtz (Leverkusen; 4.11), Jamal Musiala (Bayern; 3.68), Kingsley Coman (Bayern; 3.57) and Leroy Sané (Bayern; 3.23). That’s some impressive company Gruda is keeping.
Those are impressive numbers and highlight Gruda’s significant talent. Indeed, it wouldn’t be far-fetched to say that Gruda is one of the best winger prospects in German football right now. Gruda is always sharp, and brilliant when forced into a quick change of direction and has close control in tight spaces, quick burst, and acceleration. On top of that, he has a fantastic left foot and an incredible amount of creativity.
With all that in mind, it isn’t surprising that all of Germany’s top clubs have already scouted Gruda. Bayern, in fact, have reportedly scouted the player as early as he was 15. With the likes of Paul Wanner and Arijon Ibrahimović playing a similar role within the academy, Bayern opted not to sign Gruda.
Furthermore, in Sané, Coman, Mathys Tel, and Serge Gnabry, Bayern has several talented players occupying similar positions to Gruda. After all, both Ibrahimović and Wanner couldn’t get game time and had to go out on loan.
Indeed, Gruda seems at exactly the right place now. Mainz guarantees the 19-year-old playing time and the perfect place to develop. But with that in mind, Müller isn’t the only one who has recognized that the Mainz talent has a game, and it will only be a question of time until the rest of the Bundesliga and Europe’s elite clubs recognize it as well.
Manuel Veth is the host of the Bundesliga Gegenpressing Podcast and the Area Manager USA at Transfermarkt. He has also been published in the Guardian, Newsweek, Howler, Pro Soccer USA, and several other outlets. Follow him on Twitter: @ManuelVeth and on Threads: @manuveth