Why Leipzig’s new wonder kid could be the real deal

The Red Bull machine has given wings to the likes of Sadio Mane, Erling Haaland, Joshua Kimmich and Timo Werner in recent years, but the latest player to get scouts mouths watering across the globe could well be the most exciting yet.

A 3-1 Borussia Dortmund win over Leipzig on Saturday shifted the narrative of the Bundesliga title race dramatically as a returning Haaland once again showed he’s the difference between his side being top-four challengers and title competitors, however, the match’s build-up surrounded not just the Norweigian, but also an old friend.

©RB Leipzig

It turned out that Leipzig could have used that 90%, with a dominant first-half display returning no goals, followed by a destruction job from Dortmund who stormed to a 3-0 lead. And when it comes to dominance, that’s what Szoboszlai is all about.

Perhaps already one of the best free-kick takers in the game, Szoboszlai’s emergence onto the scene has been in the pipeline for a while. The 20-year-old’s father, aware of his son’s extraordinary talent, established his own academy for new talent, ensuring Szoboszlai wouldn’t be wasted like many Hungarians in the past.

A country that was at the forefront of the game during the first half of the 20th century, Hungary was savaged post-World War Two, and has never properly recovered on many fronts, but when it comes to football, Szoboszlai might be the man to bring the country back after an impressive recent performance at Euro 2016.

A deadball wizard, Szoboszlai’s highlight reels are already jam-packed, and as an athletic physical specimen akin to Cristiano Ronaldo, it’s easy to see why excitement has been building so steadily.

Accused of often drifting in and out of games which can be seen as criminal for an attacking midfielder, Szoboszlai gets away with it as this level of confidence hasn’t been seen for so long. 

Hungarians are skeptical around new stars, seeing the biggest name in recent years, Balázs Dzsudzsák, waste his top-level talent, collecting big money in Russia and the Middle East instead of competing in Europe’s top leagues, Szoboszlai has already gone one better by joining the Bundesliga.

Pressure from the Hungarian media is intense, but Szoboszlai’s father has once again managed his son’s career perfectly by securing moves to Salzburg and Leipzig, with the 20-year-old now set to learn from the best in the business when it comes to developing young talent, Julien Nagelsmann.

A debut at the weekend versus Dortmund and Haaland would have been the perfect story, and Szoboszlai could well have been the difference in a first half where Leipzig should have taken their chances, however, his February return date isn’t far away, and by all accounts, the new Hungarian superstar will be completely worth the wait.