In a surprising turn of events, Bayern Munich youngster Grant-Leon Ranos seems to moving to fellow Bundesliga club Borussia Mönchengladbach on a free transfer. It was first reported by @bmg_edits on twitter, with confirmation coming in the form of kicker and Florian Plettenberg. The young striker’s contract is expiring this summer and there was never any progress on securing an extension, making his departure from the Bavarian giants’ U-23 team, Bayern II, a foregone conclusion.
However, the fact that Ranos managed to land a big move to Borussia Mönchengladbach is somewhat of a surprise. This season has been the first professional season of Ranos’ life. In the fourth division of German football. Ranos has been utterly sensational this season but the step up from the fourth division to the first division is a massive one. A move to a 2. Bundesliga club was expected. Perhaps a Bundesliga struggler would have picked him up.
But Gladbach were in the Champions League just two years ago. Even though the club has crumbled to multiple mid table finishes, it is still a club that desires far more than mere survival in the Bundesliga. How will Ranos fare with this leap in competition and expectations? Especially when you consider that Die Fohlen’s main striker Marcus Thuram is surely going to leave for free at the end of the season. However, the smart money is Ranos showing the persistence he became known for at Bayern to succeed at Gladbach.
…And inevitably score in the annual Gladbach win over Bayern.
