talent factory
Red Bull Salzburg could have fielded Erling Haaland, Sadio Mane, Patson Daka and Naby Keita together, with Liverpool-linked Karim Adeyemi the next off their incredible production line
It’s pretty amazing the impact an energy drink brand can have on the world of sport.
Formula One has headlined Red Bull’s impact, with two separate teams and four world titles, and secured a legacy that reaches far into extreme sports and even further.
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In 2005 Red Bull delved into football when owner Dietrich Mateschitz purchased SV Austria Salzburg, and the impact of the team has since been felt all across football.
The now named Red Bull Salzburg have become a precursor to German Bundesliga side RB Leipzig, who peaked with a 2019/20 Champions League semi-final appearance a decade after they were founded.
The Red Bull revolution hasn’t been just about money though, with a world class scouting network the envy of the many top clubs, picking up players from every corner of the planet.
An increasing number of those who made their name in Austria are now setting the world alight, which begs the question, how good could Salzburg be if they held onto them?
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Let's get straight to it with the biggest name of the lot. Salzburg unleashed the monster that is Erling Haaland on the world in 2019 when the Norwegian goal-scoring machine set the Champions League alight.
Haaland smashed up the competition with eight goals in six games in Liverpool’s group, before joining Dortmund for £20million in the winter transfer window and adding another pair.
Haaland’s next move will undoubtedly be history making for a number of reasons, whether it be record-breaking wages, transfer fee, or the extraordinary number of goals he will undoubtedly score.
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Salzburg also played their part in restoring Liverpool to the top of the game by discovering lesser-known African talents Sadio Mane and Naby Keita who were plying their trade in France, later becoming Champions League and Premier League winners with the Reds.
The same goes for Takumi Minamino who broke through alongside Haaland in 2019, while the third of that forward trio, Hee-chan Hwang, is now making a name for himself at Wolves.
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And he’s not the only Salzburg graduate making the grade in the Premier League, Patson Daka is looking like a potential Jamie Vardy clone at Leicester, scoring with the same determination and finesse as the Foxes legend since his summer move.
Boarding a flight from Austria for England alongside Daka during the summer was fellow Zambian international Enock Mwepu, who’s also had a faultless start to life with Brighton.
Bayern Munich duo Marcel Sabitzer and Dayot Upamecano also made their names at Salzburg, before leaving Leipzig during the last transfer window to bolster their chances of glory.
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Names such as Konrad Laimer, Dominik Szoboszlai, Amadou Haidara and Duje Caleta-Car have peaked the interest of Europe’s top clubs, and may soon be on their way to the Premier League, but there’s one youngster who could beat the lot.
German international Karim Adeyemi left Bayern Munich’s academy for Austria in 2012, and the Bavarian giants are becoming increasingly irked that they didn’t get him to stay.
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The 19-year-old has filled Haaland and Daka’s boots with ease this season, knocking in 10 goals in 11 games, whilst he scored on his senior international debut to raise eyebrows everywhere.
, but a move back home appears most likely.
There’s plenty of question marks where the likes of Haaland and Adeyemi will go, but one thing’s for sure, Salzburg will continue to create world class talent at an alarming rate.
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