In a recent report, SportBILD (via Sport Witness) claimed that Aston Villa are facing stiff competition for Mainz youngster Brajan Gruda. It has been stated that the Villans are locked in a three-way battle with Liverpool and Newcastle United in the race to land the German wide player.
Gruda’s Impressive Rise In German Football
Gruda produced a series of impressive displays on the right side of Mainz’s attack in the previous campaign. He did well to find the back of the net four times and pick up three assists in 29 matches for the German club last season in various competitions.
The 20-year-old has proven his worth in the final third by averaging 1.1 shots, 1.5 key passes and 2.5 dribbles per 90 minutes in the Bundesliga. However, he has lacked quality when distributing the ball in the opponent’s half after making just 71.4% of his attempted passes in the German top flight (stats via whoscored).
His current contract at the German club will expire in the summer of 2026, so Aston Villa would have to make a convincing offer if they are serious about recruiting Gruda this off-season.
Aston Villa Are Facing Tough Competition For Gruda: Is He A Prospect For The Future?
Gruda is a good dribbler with the ball at his feet and can make a few driving runs with the ball on the right flank. He has got the vision to create some meaningful openings for his teammates on the offensive end of the field. The German starlet can even shoot the ball with power from long range and deserves some credit for adding a handful of goals and assists to his game last season.
At 20, Gruda is no doubt a prospect to watch out for in the future. Therefore, the Villans would be wise to move in for him before the end of this transfer period. However, the gifted youngster might need some time to adapt to the physical side and high intensity of Premier League football.
With all things considered, the Villans would be wise to get a deal done for Gruda as he could grow into a future star at Villa Park. However, Unai Emery has to be patient with his development before he can unlock the best out of him at the West Midlands club.
