Brajan Gruda
Country: Germany/Albania
Date of birth: 31/05/2004 (18 years old)
Place of birth: Speyer (Germany)
Height: —
Youth career: FC Speyer 09, Karlsruher SC, 1.FSV Mainz 05 (since 2018)
Current club: 1.FSV Mainz 05
Squad number: —
Current national team: Germany U-19
Position: attacking midfielder, winger, second striker
Preferred foot: left
Market value (by transfermarkt.de): —
Tournaments participated in: —
Contract until: unknown
Player’s agent: Robert Schneider
Transfer rumours: —
Similar type of player: Lionel Messi
Strengths:
– pace 
– acceleration
– dynamism
– dribbling
– technique
– ball control
– creativity
– agility
– flair
– long shots 
– off-the-ball movement
– work rate
– athleticism
– set-pieces
To improve:
– creative and prolific but still needs to work on the composure and precision of his final ball
Style of play:
– inside forward
– player with a low centre of gravity, superb acceleration, agility, flair, body balance, changes of pace, and coordination
– creative player with very good technique on the ball, mobility, fast direction shifts, and short-dribbling skills
– fast, skillful, and opportunistic
– prolific player with very good composure and finishing skills in the penalty area
– likes to dribble
– likes to shoot from distance
– likes to play in a free attacking role granted the freedom to roam the pitch and find space
– likes to move from the wing into the central area of the pitch/half-spaces to combine with his teammates
– often uses his skills to beat defenders, cut inside and, create himself a decent opportunity to score from
– can move past opponents with extreme ease thanks to his fantastic motor skills and ‘quick feet’
– likes to play in a free attacking role granted the freedom to roam the pitch and find space
– dynamic and vertical player very capable of pushing his team forward to finishing positions and making a difference at any time
– possesses powerful and accurate mid-range and long-range shooting skills
– plays with a natural flair and is dangerous in the box
– superb close control, footwork, and short dribbling skills in tight spaces
– above-average vision, passing skills, and playmaking ability/has many qualities of an advanced playmaker
– very strong in 1v1 situations and confident of his skills
– very dangerous on the counter thanks to his pace and attacking movement
– extremely difficult to knock off the ball thanks to his low centre of gravity, strength, and excellent ball control
– good ability at first touch/high speed in 1-2 combinations style of play
– his positioning and general defensive reliability are still improvable but he often wins the ball back thanks to his explosivity, work rate, recovery pace, and tenacity
– operates comfortably and is able to dribble and score with his weaker right foot
– direct and indirect set-piece specialist
Gruda cuts inside and scores with a powerful shot from outside the penalty area.
Gruda controls the ball, spots his teammate’s run, makes a quick decision, and creates a big chance with a superb ball.
Heatmap by Wyscout:
He is best suited to playing as:
Right winger in 4-3-3.
Video:
Achievements:
—
League summary (as for 19 December 2022):
No senior team appearances yet.
Description:
Brajan Gruda joined the FSV Mainz youth academy from Karlsruhe in 2018. He has been in phenomenal form so far this season – he scored 12 goals and provided 5 assists in just 12 games for Mainz U-19. It didn’t go unnoticed and it is almost certain that he will make his first-team debut in the second part of the season. He is also a regular youth international for Germany – he started at the U-15 level and now he’s one of the leaders of the U-19 setup.
Quotes:
“He brings all the components with him: pace, athleticism, understanding of the game, and mentality.”
(Mainz coach Bo Svensson on Brajan Gruda)
Football Talent Scout potential rating:
First team material in a top European league.
Links: