Meet Kerim Alajbegovic: Salzburg's 'Haaland heir' dreaming of Madrid move
The 16-year-old Bosnian winger has already scored 10 goals in his debut season and doesn't hide his Real Madrid ambitions, following in the footsteps of Salzburg's star factory.
Salzburg’s talent factory has unearthed another potential superstar who’s already turning heads across Europe’s top leagues at just 16 years old.
The next big thing from Austria’s talent pipeline
Red Bull Salzburg has established itself as one of Europe’s premier talent factories in recent years. The Austrian club that won the UEFA Youth League in 2016-17 has been the launchpad for some proper ballers including Erling Haaland, Sadio Mané, Dayot Upamecano and Dominik Szoboszlai.
Now there’s a new name to add to that impressive list - Kerim Alajbegovic, a 16-year-old Bosnian winger who Salzburg themselves have already dubbed “the next big thing” on social media.
The teenager, born in Cologne on September 21, 2007, joined Salzburg last summer for €2 million after developing in the youth systems of Cologne and Bayer Leverkusen. Interestingly, Leverkusen inserted a €8 million buyback clause that they’re likely to trigger.
Making an immediate impact
Despite his tender years, Alajbegovic has been absolutely mustard in his debut professional season:
- 10 goals across all competitions (6 in league, 2 in Europa League, 2 in cup)
- 1 assist in 27 appearances (1,459 minutes)
- Made history as the first player to score two goals from outside the box (one with each foot) in a single Europa League match this season
The ambidextrous winger stands at 1.86m tall and possesses a fearsome shot. His second goal against Basel went viral - picking up the ball near the left corner of the box, beating two defenders and unleashing a 30-meter thunderbolt that clipped the crossbar on its way in. Proper tekkers!
Madrid dreams and Messi worship
Despite being dubbed Haaland’s heir at Salzburg, Alajbegovic names Lionel Messi as his idol, calling him “the best player in history.” However, his playing style - powerful, two-footed, with a hint of arrogance - has more similarities to Cristiano Ronaldo.
The youngster isn’t shy about his ambitions either. “I’d like to play for Madrid. As a kid I dreamed of giving my best to play for Real,” he told FACE TV, before adding with surprising diplomacy, “If Barcelona signed me, I wouldn’t have a problem either.”
His confidence is sky high: “When I’m in a match, I’m not afraid of anyone! I have a lot of confidence in myself.”
What’s next for the wonderkid?
Alajbegovic himself expects to be on the move soon: “Most likely Leverkusen will activate the clause in summer and I won’t stay at Salzburg. The question is if they’ll sell me to Spain, Italy, England… I don’t think they’ll sell me to the Bundesliga.”
Chelsea, Manchester United, Roma, Lazio and Besiktas have all been linked with the teenager. For now, Salzburg fans should enjoy him while they can - history suggests he won’t be hanging around in Austria for long.