Analysis: Why Brentford signed Red Bull Salzburg defender Jannik Schuster | OneFootball

New Brentford signing Jannik Schuster has stepped away from his family’s ski jumping tradition to make his name in football, joining the Bees after a breakthrough season at Red Bull Salzburg.

Schuster's older brother Jonas has won World Championship and Olympic medals in the sport at youth level. However, 19-year-old Jannik looks set to hit different heights, put pen to paper on a five-year contract with the Bees.

Despite his age, Schuster has already established himself as a key figure at the back for the Austrian side - a club renowned for developing elite talent, not least Erling Haaland.

After beginning the campaign on loan at Liefering in the Austrian second tier, the centre-back made rapid strides upon returning to Salzburg, racking up 29 appearances across all competitions.

Nine of those came in the Austrian Bundesliga’s Championship phase, where his growing influence was underlined by 806 minutes of game time - the most of any outfield player.

Standing at 1.90m, the imposing teenager has shown flashes of attacking quality, registering a goal and an assist.

But it is Schuster's composure and authority in possession that stand out, with early indicators suggesting Brentford have recruited a composed, ball-playing defender capable of dictating play from the back.

During the regular season, only team-mate Jacob Rasmussen (63.25) averaged more successful passes per game than Schuster across the initial 12-team phase, with the Austria youth international posting an impressive 88 per cent completion rate.

He also averaged more duels won per game (six) than any of his Salzburg team-mates during that period, while a standout display against Sturm Graz in September saw him block six shots in a single match.

However, Schuster has really come into his own during the Austrian top flight’s final phase.

The teenager has excelled defensively - winning more aerials (40) and making more clearances (69) than any other player during this stage of the competition, while also ranking third for accurate passes.

The defender’s passing range also looks very promising, Schuster ranking fourth among outfielders for successful long balls and boasting a 50 per cent completion rate to boot.

With three full appearances in the Europa League - including 90 minutes against eventual finalists Aston Villa earlier this year - Schuster has already gained valuable experience that should ease his transition to the Premier League and hint at a player already comfortable on a bigger stage.