Grant-Leon Ranos is reminiscent of Robert Lewandowski in two ways, changed his last name and enjoys a special position on campus. Who is Bayern Munich’s 19-year-old reserve goalscorer?
Like Robert Lewandowski, he came to Munich from Borussia Dortmund, and like Lewandowski he has a keen nose for goals: Grant-Leon Ranos from the FC Bayern reserves is reminiscent of the Polish top scorer in two ways. In the first half of the season he scored twelve goals in 21 regional league games and eight assists. Almost one scorer point per game.
Born in Lower Saxony, Ranos initially played in the youth academy at Hannover 96. He spent the 2017/18 season in Dortmund before moving on to Bayern Munich after just one year. In order to fill the many beds on the recently opened campus, the Munich team upgraded their youth teams at the time.
Four and a half years later, Ranos, now 19, still lives on campus. Normally, the talents have to move out with the jump from the U19 to the reserve and the school leaving certificate that usually goes with it. With Ranos, however, the club made an exception – as with a few other players: namely, because after graduating from secondary school last summer, he is currently still completing an apprenticeship at the International Football Institute IFI in Ismaning near Munich.
Grant-Leon Ranos changed his last name
At FC Bayern, the German-Armenian started in the U16s. At that time still as Mamedova, before he later decided on his other surname Ranos. He first caused a stir last season with the U19s when he scored just as many points in 17 A youth Bundesliga games.
In the spring, Ranos was able to get a taste of the reserves, where he has been a regular since this season. He only rotates between the positions: Sometimes he starts as a striker, sometimes on the left or right wing.
“Grant has developed well this season in the Bavarian regional league. He’s our top scorer, but he’s also very valuable to the team as a preparer,” praised junior manager Holger Seitz SPOX and GOALS. After Martin Demichelis’ move to River Plate, Seitz also took over as coach for the reserves in November.
Also thanks to Ranos’ goals, the team has the second best offensive in the Regionalliga Bayern, but still only ranks sixth in the table. The gap to leaders SpVgg Unterhaching is already 22 points, at the start of the second half of the season on February 24th there will be a direct duel.
Seitz on Ranos: “Can make it to professional football”
The 1.80 meter tall Ranos convinces with good technique, but according to Seitz he could be “even more callous in front of the goal” despite his impressive goal rate. In general, his coach believes “that he can make it into professional football”. Occasionally, Ranos was allowed to train with coach Julian Nagelsmann’s Bundesliga team.
Ranos’ contract expires in the summer, with more goals in the second half of the season he could recommend himself to the professionals. There, the long-term storm future since Lewandowski’s move to FC Barcelona is very unclear. The only nominal center forward, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, has scored consistently but has still not renewed his contract, which expires in the summer.
