Nestory Irankunda will play alongside fellow Socceroo Awer Mabil in Switzerland after the Bayern Munich youngster was loaned to Grasshoppers.
Irankunda will spend the second half of the 2024-25 season on loan at Switzerland’s most successful club in pursuit of more regular senior minutes, having impressed with Bayern’s reserve and academy team following his arrival from Isuzu UTE A-League outfit Adelaide United.
The 18-year-old, who will reunite with fellow South Australian product Mabil, is yet to featured for Vincent Kompany’s senior team at Bayern but he was on the bench in a recent UEFA Champions League fixture, while he has scored four goals and provided four assists in 15 games for the Under-23 team.
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Bayern’s director of youth development Jochen Sauer said: “Nestory has integrated very well after his move from Australia to Europe and has repeatedly shown his great talent with our reserves.
“We’re convinced he’ll take the next sporting steps in the Swiss top tier at GC Zurich. We’ll continue to support him very closely on his journey.”
Irankunda, who scored once in the UEFA Youth League, added: “This is a great opportunity for me to continue my development in Switzerland’s highest league. I am very happy to be at GC Zurich.”
Grasshoppers’ sporting director Stephan Schwarz said “Nestory Irankunda is a young and exciting talent with dynamism and the ability to ignite the attack.”
“Obviously you want to be playing, you want to be playing at a top level, first league, first division and at a good club also,” Irankunda told Network 10.
“I’ve been in talks with the club and also the coaches about going on loan, because I feel like it will be better for me. I have to be playing, I can’t keep playing under-23’s every week. So I’m in talks with them, and hopefully I get a club soon.”
Grasshoppers have struggled in 2024-25, languishing second from bottom through 18 games in Switzerland’s top flight.
Former Adelaide star Mabil has scored one goal in nine league appearances for the club.
