Liverpool held discussions with Brajan Gurda’s camp before the attacker made his move to Brighton in the summer window.
According to Christian Falk on the Daily Briefing, Liverpool held a concrete interest in Brajan Gruda and spoke to his management about a move. The 20-year-old attacker eventually joined Brighton in a deal from Mainz, as the Merseysiders continued to look for new players during the previous window.
Liverpool were keen on Brajan Gruda
Liverpool had a relatively quiet window during the summer when their fans expected the club to make critical moves to improve the squad. Georgian goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili was signed from Valencia, although the stopper will only arrive next summer.
The only permanent signing they made was that of Federico Chiesa in a £10 million deal, as this was seen as a late market opportunity by Liverpool. The leading position that Arne Slot wanted to strengthen was central midfield, with a player in the defensive mould needed.
Martin Zubimendi rejected a move to Liverpool, while the club were also considering players who could bolster their attack, which explains their signing of Chiesa. However, the report from Christian Falk states that the Reds were interested in Gruda as a potential option but did not push for a move to bring the 20-year-old attacker to Anfield.
He insisted that Liverpool had been in touch with Gruda’s camp over a potential move and claimed that out of the top clubs, they were the only side showing some interest. However, the attacker ended up joining Brighton around mid-August to bolster the Seagulls attack.
Falk said, “I heard that Liverpool were interested in him and perhaps they made a mistake not getting concrete with this one. That’s also the case for Bayern Munich, of course! In the end, they couldn’t give him guarantees for this position, but they tried. They saw the immense talent of Gruda.
“Liverpool were the only club from England’s Big Six who were talking with the management, but in the middle class of clubs in England there were plenty of sides who were interested in him. If Liverpool had been concrete for Gruda, it would have been a big challenge for Brighton to sign him.”
Brighton move is suited for Gruda
Brighton made some serious efforts in the window to strengthen their squad, and it has resulted in an unbeaten start to the campaign. Last weekend, they managed to get a point at the Emirates against Arsenal, which has shown they have a good enough squad to break into the top six.
The competition for places in the attacking third, with Gruda also part of the squad, does give the Brighton manager a good headache. Overall, this is an environment for a player like Gruda to thrive and develop his talents, which may not have been possible at a team like Liverpool.
