Liverpool’s interest in 20-year-old German winger Brajan Gruda has been confirmed, with the club missing out on his signing during the summer transfer window. Gruda, who broke through at Mainz, ultimately joined Brighton in a deal worth £25 million, leaving many fans to wonder why the Reds failed to secure his services.
Brajan Gruda emerged as one of Germany’s most exciting young talents, catching the eye of top clubs across Europe. With his ability to play both as a right winger and in a central attacking role, Gruda became an integral part of Mainz’s first team last season. He made 28 Bundesliga appearances, scoring four goals and providing three assists, proving his value on the big stage.
The winger’s performances attracted attention from clubs like Liverpool, Bayern Munich, Aston Villa, and Newcastle United, all of whom were linked with moves for him over the summer. However, it was Brighton who secured the transfer, capitalising on the situation to sign Gruda for £25 million—far less than the initially reported £42.1 million (€50 million).
Christian Falk, a respected German journalist, recently revealed the reason Liverpool missed out on Gruda’s signature. Falk explained that while Liverpool were interested, they couldn’t guarantee the game time Gruda was looking for, which ultimately led him to choose Brighton.
“One other English club also knocked on the door this summer – it was Liverpool,” Falk said. “I heard that Liverpool were interested in him and perhaps they made a mistake not getting concrete with this one. In the end, they all couldn’t give him guarantees for this position, but they tried. They saw the big talent of Gruda.”
