Brighton sign German midfielder Brajan Gruda from Mainz on 4-year deal

Brighton: Brighton and Hove Albion have signed midfielder Brajan Gruda from German club FSV Mainz, subject to work permit and international clearance, the Premier League club said.

The 20-year-old attacking midfielder has agreed to a contract that runs until June 2028. He becomes Brighton's sixth signing of the summer following the arrivals of Ibrahim Osman, Yankuba Minteh, Mats Wieffer, Amario Cozier-Duberry and Malick Yalcouye.

The 20-year-old broke through at Mainz last season when he played 28 games in the Bundesliga and contributed four goals and three assists to help them avoid relegation. Earlier this year he was included in Germany’s training squad ahead of the 2024 Euros.

Head coach Fabian Hurzeler said, "I saw the big impact he made last season in the Bundesliga and he’s a player I admire a lot. The Premier League will be a different challenge but I’m looking forward to working with Brajan and helping to develop his big potential."

Technical director David Weir added, “We’re delighted to bring Brajan to the club. He’s a player we have been tracking for a while and he’s already played at a really good level in the Bundesliga.He is a player Fabian knows well and is really looking forward to working with.”

Brajan, whose father played in the UEFA Cup for Albanian team Vllaznia, played his youth football for his home town club FC Speyer before joining FC Karlsruher in 2015 where he spent three seasons in their academy prior to his move to Mainz in 2018.

He made his Bundesliga debut in 2023 aged 18 against Borussia Dortmund and has played for Germany in all age groups from the age of 15 and has made seven under-21 appearances.