Asymptotic half-grid and full-grid minors

We prove that every locally finite, quasi-transitive graph with a thick end whose cycle space is generated by cycles of bounded length contains the full-grid as an asymptotic minor and as a diverging minor. This in particular includes all locally finite Cayley graphs of finitely presented groups that are not virtually free, and partially solves problems of Georgakopoulos and Papasoglu and of Georgakopoulos and Hamann. Additionally, we show that every (not necessarily quasi-transitive) graph of finite maximum degree which has a thick end and whose cycle space is generated by cycles of bounded length contains the half-grid as an asymptotic minor and as a diverging minor.