RB Salzburg teenage wonderkid ‘dreams’ of playing for Real Madrid | OneFootball

Red Bull Salzburg are once again living through a story they know all too well. 

A young forward is exploding onto the scene, scoring goals and attracting attention from across Europe. 

This time, the name creating the buzz is Kerim Alajbegovic, an 18-year-old attacker from Bosnia and Herzegovina who is quickly carving out a reputation as Salzburg’s next major export.

The Austrian club has built a reputation for developing elite attacking talent before sending them to the biggest leagues in Europe. 

In that context, Erling Haaland turned Salzburg into his launchpad before becoming a global superstar. Others like Sadio Mane and Benjamin Sesko followed similar routes. 

Alajbegovic is now the latest name being added to that list, and within Salzburg, there is already an understanding that his stay will not be a long one.

Dreams of playing for Real Madrid

The teenager himself is not hiding his ambitions. In fact, he has been remarkably open about his future and the direction he expects his career to take.

Kerim Alajbegovic dreams of playing for Real Madrid. (Photo by Jasmin Walter/Getty Images)

“I won’t stay at Salzburg. The question is whether they’ll sell me to Spain, Italy, or England. I don’t think they’ll sell me to the Bundesliga,” says Alajbegovic, as quoted by MARCA.

For what it is worth, clubs from across Europe are monitoring his situation closely, with reports linking him to sides such as Chelsea, Manchester United, AS Roma, Lazio, and Beşiktaş. 

Despite the growing hype, Alajbegovic remains grounded. He is aware that his journey is only just beginning and insists there is still plenty of work to do.

“I’m not a big star yet! There’ll be time for that! It’s true that I’ll do everything I can to become one,” he said.

Furthermore, the young forward has openly admitted that wearing the Real Madrid shirt has been a lifelong dream.

“I’d like to play for [Real] Madrid. As a kid, I dreamed of giving my best to play for Real. If it’s Barcelona, I don’t have a problem with that either,” he confessed.