One player who’s recently been linked with Liverpool has claimed that he’s ‘open’ to a move this summer, but he’s insisted that any prospective suitors must meet a crucial demand.
Towards the end of May, SportBILD claimed that the Reds are interested in Brajan Gruda, a teammate of Sepp van den Berg at Mainz during the 2023/24 season.
The 20-year-old playmaker has now spoken with German outlet Abendzeitung about his future (via Fussball Transfers), saying: “Of course, we are thinking about the topic, but at the moment my full focus is here. My agent will sort everything out.
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“[I am] open to everything. At my age, it is important that I play a lot and show what I can do. If I sit on the bench week after week or only get a few appearances, I think that will destroy players.
“Money will come at some point when you are very, very successful, but the important thing is to play and have fun.”
It’s understandable that Gruda is eager to play regularly if he were to move this summer, having featured in 29 games for Mainz during the 2023/24 season, with 20 of those coming from the start (Transfermarkt).
However, whether Arne Slot would be able to grant him frequent senior game-time at Liverpool is less clear, with strong competition for places at Anfield. With the greatest due respect to the youngster’s current club, the Reds would represent a significant step up from the level at which he’s been operating.
The Germany under-21 international might take encouragement from the new head coach’s reputation for trusting in youth, with the 45-year-old fielding no fewer than five homegrown players in Feyenoord’s defeat to Roma in the 2022 Europa Conference League final (Daily Mail).
If LFC are to approach Gruda about a possible move to Merseyside, they’d be well advised to be transparent about the likelihood of him being granted his wish for regular first-team minutes, rather than investing in him with false promises being made and running the risk of him becoming disenchanted.
