Is Argentina legend Lionel Messi a secret Brajan Gruda and Brighton fan?
Perhaps the greatest player of the modern era is a big fan of Brighton star Brajan Gruda, apparently.
Lionel Messi, the Argentina World Cup winner and global superstar, selected Gruda as a ‘top 10 world talent’ as part of an Adidas social media promotion for some new football boots.
Gruda certainly has many admirers and the Germany under-21 international - also sponsored by Adidas - has displayed flashes of his undoubted potential following his £25m arrival from Mainz in the summer of 2024.
He was excellent in the second round of Brighton’s 6-0 Carabao Cup win at Championship club Oxford United last month and perhaps it was that performance at the Kassam Stadium that caught Messi’s eye?
Clearly Messi keeps a close watch on all the early rounds of England’s League Cup competition from his base in Miami...
Gruda, 21, is currently struggling with a knee issue sustained in the 1-1 draw at Wolves just prior to the international break. He missed Albion’s clash with Newcastle United yesterday but news that Messi is an admirer will have perked him up.
Is Lionel Messi a secret Brighton fan?
So what did Albion head coach Fabian Hurzeler make of it all and is Messi a secret Albion fan? After all, the Argentina legend did once like an Instagram post from Brighton when they celebrated their 2022 World Cup win with former player Alexis Mac Allister!
“So we discussed it,” said Hurzeler with a wry smile to Sussex World.
“We had two meetings. The first meeting from the staff was, it's a great marketing idea from Adidas to put the right players in the right place to push them by the world's best player, Lionel Messi.
“This can be optional because some of the staff members weren't sure if Lionel Messi really watches the game from Gruda. That's an option.
“Or, Lionel Messi is really interested in the development for young players. So then I can just agree that Brajan is a great player.”
Gruda has made 33 appearances with three goals and seven assists for Brighton and Hurzeler has challenged his countryman to deliver his top level on a more consistent basis.
“He still needs to develop a lot of things to be on the level for Messi,” said Hurzeler.
“But yes, he has quality and he showed his quality in the last games. He started against Wolverhampton. He also would start [against Newcastle] if he would be available.
Gruda is a player from the streets
“I'm a fan of players who have big potential, who are players who are coming from the street. We lose these kind of players.
“I just read an article that the best players in the world, they were educated in the streets from Brazil, from Argentina, where they just play five against five, where they have to find their own decisions on the pitch when they play five against five without any coach.
“So there was the education there. And he's that kind of player who tries to find their own decisions on the pitch. And he's very good in these kind of things.
“Overall, we are very happy that he's here and I hope that he can progress. And then let's see if Messi continues speaking of him.”
A classic Brighton signing
Gruda is a classic Albion signing. A player of big potential who they hope to develop and allow to shine in the Premier League. His pathway to the team opened dramatically this summer as the likes of Matt O’Riley (Marseille), Facundo Buonanotte (Chelsea) and Evan Ferguson (Roma) left on loan and Julio Enciso was sold to Strasbourg.
Hurzeler who previously coached in Germany has been aware of Gruda’s talent for sometime but said it it was a joint decision to bring him to the club.
“We never sign here a player who's not on the radar from the club. Tony [Bloom] just gave an article about our recruitment system and how we try to innovate it and how we try to be ahead of others.
“And therefore, we still use it in a very effective way. We really trust this system and it's the best system in the world.
“So overall, we never sign a player who's not fitting into this. But on top of that, of course, he also has the right character, has the right attitude that fits to this club, the right values that fit to this club.
“It always has to be a match. It's not only the numbers, or not only my suggestion. It's always a decision we try to make together.”
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