RB Salzburg has produced several top players today, but all of them thrive in the Premier League. The name ‘RB Salzburg’ might still be less familiar compared to their affiliated team in the Bundesliga, RB Leipzig. Yet, the Austrian giant has been a reliable support system for all Red Bull-affiliated clubs around the world. Leipzig is just one of them. There are also the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer and the Red Bull Bragantino in Brazil.
This Austrian side has been utilising its own creative and unique player transfer strategy, which has successfully improved the team's performance, generated more revenue, and is undoubtedly developing long-term plans for the club's future. RB Salzburg, whose best result in European competition so far has been reaching the semifinals in the Europa League, may not prioritise the prestigious continental trophy like their elite counterparts in the major leagues. They concentrate more on developing rare talents from around the world and profiting from their sale in transfer deals, particularly with clubs in high-profile leagues such as the Premier League.
The English top flight has been considered the best one in the world, and those who thrive there will have a superb career plus skyrocketing market value, providing more benefit for parent clubs like RB Salzburg.
One of the most recent examples is the Hungarian international Dominik Szoboszlai. He left RB Leipzig to join Liverpool last summer for €60 million. The 23-year-old versatile midfielder has seamlessly become one of the key figures in Anfield. He has contributed seven goals and four assists in 49 games so far and helped the Reds join the title race after snatching the EFL League Cup. Should he perform consistently under the newly appointed boss, Arne Slot, Liverpool tickets next season will always be in high demand, probably for every match.
Here are the other RB Salzburg alumni who have been successful in the Premier League.
Erling Haaland
He is currently regarded as one of the best players in the world. Haaland has won almost every major title in his first season with Manchester City. The Norwegian international was the key player in Pep Guardiola’s team while clinching the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League. He also lifted the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup trophy in 2023. The former Molde man was awarded the Premier League top scorer, the Champions League top scorer, and the European Golden Shoe last season. This season, Haaland was again the top scorer in the EPL.
His meteoric rise in England came as no surprise, as he has been tipped as one of the most promising strikers during his only stint with RB Salzburg in 2018–19. Haaland had already received an offer to switch sides with Manchester United. Yet, he turned it down and opted to sign for Borussia Dortmund instead to improve himself before competing at the top level. Die Borussen only paid for €20 million in winter 2020. Such a smart move helped Haaland’s mentality and ability to deal with huge pressure on the big team.
Hwang Hee-Chan
The South Korean international was Haaland’s teammate in the first half of the 2019–20 season. Yet, he had to go on loan twice with FC Liefering and Hamburg SV in the Bundesliga 2 before cementing his place in Salzburg. In 2020, he plied his trade to RB Leipzig but failed to impress the German outfit. This led to his move to Wolverhampton.
His stint in the Premier League has been better than expected. He made 34 appearances and registered five goals and two assists, as well as helping the Wolves finish 10th in the 2021/22 season. Hee-Chan eventually moved permanently to England for £14 million. His contribution in the 2022–23 campaign was rather declining, as he scored only four times and provided three assists in 32 games. His team also finished three spots lower than the previous season. Fortunately, the frontman’s form has been improving. In the current campaign, Hee Chan netted 12 times and made three assists in 30 games.
Sadio Mane
The Senegalese international is undoubtedly the most successful RB Salzburg alumni so far. He moved to England directly from the Austrian side after playing for two years from 2012 to 2014, joining Southampton for only £11.8 million.
Mane soon became a prominent figure at St.Mary’s. He scored 10 goals and provided three assists in the EPL only during his season debut in England under Ronald Koeman, as well as helping the club finish seventh. In the following season, the versatile forward even managed to contribute more with 15 goals and eight assists in all competitions, resulting in an even higher finish in the final standings. The Saints sat sixth and qualified for the Europa League.
His outstanding form in Southampton attracted Liverpool, who he signed for in 2016 for £ 34 million. Mane did not take long to make his decision to play for Jurgen Klopp’s side. He became a vital part of the Reds’ deadly trio upfront, alongside Mo Salah and Roberto Firmino. They were the key figures in Klopp’s glorious reigns at Anfield as they clinched the Champions League title, the UEFA Super Cup, and the FIFA Club World Cup in 2019, the long-awaited Premier League title in 2020, plus the FA Cup and EFL Cup in 2022. The Bambaly-born forward also brought them to the UCL final in 2018 and 2022, before moving on to ply his trade at Bayern in the summer 2022.
Overall, the current Al Nasr man notched up 120 goals and provided 42 assists in 269 games for the Reds. He also registered 25 goals and 12 assists in total for the Saints. Such an impressive record for a forward who had to live a modest life during his childhood. Mane’s success would not have existed if RB Salzburg had not pounced to sign him from Metz in 2012.
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