Late bloomer's winding road to the top

Data correct as of 30 July 2025

Bryan Zaragoza

Age: 23 (born 9 September 2001)
Club: Celta Vigo (on loan from Bayern Munich)
Position: Winger
Country: Spain (three caps)

Key stats

Zaragoza was something of a late bloomer, not making his professional debut until the age of 20 and only appearing in the Spanish top-flight for the first time in the 2023/24 season. His first taste of the men's game came in the 2021/22 Segunda Federación - his homeland’s fourth tier – with Granada’s second team, where he scored seven goals in 33 league matches.

His performances that term earned him 45 senior minutes in the Copa del Rey first-round 7-0 victory over Laguna, and the following campaign he was promoted to the main set-up permanently.

Granada spent 2022/23 in the second division, and Zaragoza was a major part of their promotion charge. The Nazaríes finished top of the table, winning 22 of their 42 matches, with their up-and-coming forward finding the back of the net five times in 34 outings while also providing one assist.

The 2023/24 season was a difficult one for the Andalusian outfit which was ultimately relegated at the end of the campaign. Zaragoza was their one shining light, however, bagging six strikes and two assists in 21 fixtures, including a brace in the eye-catching 2-2 draw with heavyweights Barcelona. He was even named La Liga’s U23 Player of the Month for October.

Such performances led Bayern to come calling midway through the 2023/24 term, initially signing him on loan for the remainder of the campaign due to an injury crisis, before his five-year deal, which runs until summer 2029, came into effect at the end of the season.

His displays have not gone unnoticed by Luis de la Fuente, head coach of the national team, either. The 23-year-old was called up for the 2024 UEFA European Championship qualifiers against Scotland and Norway, and ultimately played the entire second half in the 2-0 win over the former as he made his international bow.

Since then, Zaragoza has made two further appearances for Spain and netted his first goal in a 3-2 Nations League victory over Switzerland in November 2024.

Following Vincent Kompany's appointment as Bayern head coach in summer 2024, Zaragoza was sent out on loan to Spanish side Osasuna where he made 28 appearances over the course of the 2024/25 season, grabbing a team-high six assists and netting once. His goal came in a memorable 4-2 win over eventual champions Barcelona, harkening back to his impressive performance for Granada against the Catalan giants a year prior. He wil spend 2025/26 on loan at Celta Vigo.

Plays a bit like: Vinícius Júnior

Zaragoza has previously stated he enjoyed watching Neymar as a child, but now follows Vinícius, and it is easy to see the similarities he shares with the Real Madrid star. The Granada man has quick feet, pace to burn and an eye for goal, all qualities Vinícius has displayed since making the move to Europe from Flamengo in 2018. Of course, Zaragoza has a long way to go to match the Brazilian's achievements, but the Allianz Arena and Die Roten will offer him a platform to show the full extent of his ability.

Did you know?

Unlike the vast majority of his peers, Zaragoza didn’t play for a polished academy set-up throughout most of his youth career. Instead, he turned out for local sides Tiro Pichón and Cornejito Málaga before being spotted by Granada aged 18. He spent just 12 months with the youngsters before his rise began.

What they’re saying

"Bryan Zaragoza is an explosive, very quick and extremely nimble winger, who can play on either side. He’s unpredictable, can score and is very good one-v-one. He’s already made his senior debut for Spain this year and has a lot of potential. Bryan is one of Spain’s up-and-coming players and has been on our radar for a while." - Bayern sporting director Christoph Freund

“He is a star who will be big, who can go as far as he wants." - former Granada teammate Raúl Torrente

"We knew that Bryan is a bullet; he is a football player who is not easy to stop." - Barcelona head coach Xavi following his side's 2-2 draw with Granada