Aston Villa are seen as having a better chance than Liverpool or Newcastle United to sign youngster Brajan Gruda this summer, although there is nothing advanced as yet.
That’s according to SportBILD, who report that the FSV Mainz youngster is being targeted by the top clubs and the Premier League trio are among them.
The newspaper explains that Gruda is currently on his holidays enjoying a rest and preparing for the new season, but above all the decision about where he will be playing.
His contract with Mainz runs until 2026 and does not include a release clause but, Gruda is leaning towards an exit and has plenty of suitors willing to make that happen.
Aston Villa, Liverpool and Newcastle have all shown an interest in the Premier League while RB Leipzig, Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich are keen in the Bundesliga.
All of those, aside from Newcastle, are clubs that can offer Champions League football, and this will likely pique Gruda’s interest.
His main focus is on joining a club where he has the opportunity to play in the starting 11 on a regular basis and, because of this, Bayer Leverkusen, RB Leipzig and Aston Villa are seen as having a better chance than other suitors such as Liverpool and Newcastle.
The ‘hot poker’ for his signature is expected to start after Euro 2024, with a €50m asking price currently being floated by Mainz.
That’s a big price and will certainly scare off some suitors so it’s a situation waiting to develop for now, with Aston Villa part of the group slightly out in front simply because of them being able to offer more gametime.
