Red Bull Salzburg are currently enjoying the welcome distraction of the lucrative FIFA Club World Cup, which comes off the back end of another disappointing season for the club in domestic and European competitions.
For the first time since the Red Bull takeover in 2005, Salzburg have gone back-to-back years without winning an Austrian Bundesliga title, with Sturm Graz retaining the crown they won last year.
Not only that, but a disappointing UEFA Champions League campaign, which saw them finish 34th in the league phase, also resulted in them going back-to-back years without spring European football for the first time since 2016 and 2017.
The club has been barren on the pitch over the last couple of seasons, with three different managers in the dugout since the departure of young, talented head coach Matthias Jaissle to Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia.
Gerhard Struber and Jürgen Klopp‘s former Liverpool assistant (now at Manchester City) Pepijn Lijnders have held the position since then, both moved on following poor results, with Thomas Letsch replacing the latter last December.
Although the season wasn’t a success, Letsch‘s contract still runs until summer 2027.
As he leads the club into the Club World Cup in the United States, he is expected to stay on next season and get a full season to try to turn the team’s fortunes around.
Next season, the aim will be to re-establish their domestic superiority by winning the Austrian championship and offering a decent showing in Europe.
This recruitment and team analysis will examine the current Salzburg squad going into the 2025/2026 campaign, some of their core problems from the recent season, and potential signings that can help them get back to where they want to be.
Red Bull Salzburg Squad 2025/2026: As It Stands
As it stands, goalkeeper Janis Blaswich and centre-back Maximiliano Caufriez will no longer be in the Red Bull Salzburg side.
Following the expiry of their loan spells, they will return to RB Leipzig and Clermont Foot, respectively.
Left-back Daouda Guindo and central midfielder Samson Tijani are also not there as their contracts weren’t renewed.
Before we discuss what Salzburg needs to look for in the transfer window, let’s break down this current squad position-by-position and assess their overall quality and depth in each area of the pitch.
Currently, Salzburg have four first-team goalkeepers on their books.
Following a loan spell at Lyngby in Denmark, where he only registered four appearances, Jonas Krumrey has returned to join the squad at the Club World Cup following Blaswich’s departure and Alexander Schlager‘s hand injury, which currently has him sidelined.
Besides Schlager, who is 29, their other options lack top-flight experience.
Krumrey’s four games at Lyngby were his only taste of senior football to date.
He played for Salzburg’s reserve team, Liefering, in the Austrian 2. Liga.
Salko Hamzić and Christian Zawieschitzky are both 18 years old.
While Schlager has been their starting goalkeeper over the last two seasons, with 49 league appearances from a possible 64, his injuries that have kept him out of back-to-back summer tournaments, including the European Championship last summer with Austria and now the Club World Cup, could present concerns over his health record and reliability.
And given that there’s almost no proven experienced options behind him, perhaps the goalkeeping position is one that Salzburg may need to invest in this summer.
Onto the defence, starting with the full-back positions.
Although Amar Dedić has returned following an underwhelming adventure in France with Marseille, by all accounts, he is expected to depart again, this time permanently, with Benfica his most likely destination.
So, if we don’t take him into account, Salzburg has two natural options on either side of the defence, with a few others who can fill in in a secondary role.
At right-back, Stefan Lainer re-signed with the club in the winter on a 2.5-year deal and seems likely to stay on as a veteran option.
Meanwhile, 19-year-old Tim Trummer saw more opportunities towards the end of the season, which may signal that he’s part of the plans for 2025/2026.
This is especially true now that Leandro Morgalla, 20, has gone on loan to Bochum for the next year, which opens the door for him even further.
On the opposite flank at left-back, 25-year-old Aleksa Terzić is still tied down long-term until 2028, while new signing 22-year-old Frans Krätzig, from Bayern Munich after a loan spell at Heidenheim, is expected to see regular minutes as well.
Raphael Hofer, also 22, is there, but following limited game time on loan at Hartberg, it’s unlikely that he’ll be around come September.
In central defence, 28-year-old Dane Jacob Rasmussen has just come in from Brøndby, while Jannik Schuster, 19, has been promoted from Liefering.
This adds to the quartet already there: Joane Gadou (18), Samson Baidoo (21), Hendry Blank (20), and John Mellberg (18).
There’s also Kamil Piątkowski, 25, whose future remains unclear as of this writing, following a loan spell in Turkey with Kasimpaşa, which helped him earn a recall to the Polish national team after a three-year absence.
With only a year left on his current deal, though, this summer is Salzburg’s last chance to get good value for him via a transfer unless they and the player plan to extend together.
Should he leave, Salzburg’s main central defensive options would consist of only players aged 21 or under, which is relatively young, besides the new signing, Rasmussen.
However, unless someone is to leave that pack, a signing seems unlikely, although adding more experience to a crucial position could be worth considering, given their season targets.
All in all, it depends on how management views the development of Trummer at right-back and whether the youthfulness of the central defence is a concern when deciding whether to pursue any further defensive acquisitions this window.
Meanwhile, the left back appears to be well-equipped with Terzić and Krätzig.
Next are the midfield positions, where we’ll examine the defensive, central, and attacking options in one session.
We’ll touch more on Letsch’s preferred tactics later in the piece, but given that he has prioritised lining up in a 4-4-2 scheme in recent months, which obviously means no central attacking midfield role operating in that system.
However, as the options in that position, listed above in green, are all capable of functioning in different roles, that tactical structure shouldn’t rule any of them out of finding a suitable fit within the team on the pitch.
Similar to the defence, this area of the squad has an abundance of young players, which makes sense given the Red Bull model of prioritising high-energy, athletic players in a lower age bracket.
From those listed as defensive midfielders, Soumaïla Diabaté has been a mainstay in the team under Letsch and given his tender age of 20, it can be expected that this will remain the case next year and perhaps in seasons to come.
Beyond him, things aren’t as clear with Takumu Kawamura (25) recovering from an injury-ravaged campaign.
At the same time, Mamady Diambou (22) is only a squad player currently with just over 800 minutes clocked in the Austrian Bundesliga this year.
However, there is potentially the return of Lucas Gourna-Douath (21), who spent the second half of the season on loan at AS Roma, to look forward to.
Talks of extending his loan or moving permanently to the Italian capital are currently at a standstill.
In central midfield, there are the captain, Mads Bidstrup (24), who is an indispensable figure in this team, and the Argentine Nicolás Capaldo (26), who are the two oldest and most experienced players in this area of the squad.
Beyond them, it’s essentially an unknown quantity when it comes to some of their options.
Maurits Kjærgaard (21) had a challenging year due to ankle problems, while Valentin Sulzbacher (20) split his time between the first team and Liefering. Bobby Clark (20) saw his playing time limited following Lijnder’s dismissal, which means an early end to his Salzburg career this summer is likely.
There’s also Justin Omoregie (21) returning from a loan at Hartberg, where he did well but had his own injury struggles, and Oliver Lukić (18), who could come up from Liefering into the first team.
And with attacking midfield, there’s Oscar Gloukh (21), who has found a place on the left side of midfield in Letsch’s 4-4-2 but can also play deeper as an attack-minded central midfielder, Dijon Kameri (21) returning from a loan spell at Altach, and a new signing from Cerezo Osaka in Sōta Kitano (20).
Several other players can fill in for all three positions listed even though it’s not their primary role, which highlights the versatility of the squad at Letsch’s disposal.
This is particularly important for the attacking midfielders, who must find another way to fit into the team, given that Salzburg typically don’t play with one behind a striker.
Overall, as far as the centre of midfield goes, Salzburg has some reliable options in Diabaté, Bidstrup, Capaldo, and potentially a returning Gourna-Douath, but beyond that, questions remain about the others.
It’s up for debate whether it’s a pressing issue for Letsch to address in this transfer window, but depending on how many players leave as the summer advances, it could end up being an area he’ll look to invest in.
Onto the wing positions.
On the right flank, Moussa Yeo (21) and Edmund Baidoo (19) are natural choices from West Africa.
Both have had solid years in terms of goal contributions and show considerable promise.
Another African winger on the opposite side is Dorgeles Nene (22).
He was the second-highest scorer in the Austrian Bundesliga with 13 goals, highlighting his value to the team as a threat from a wide area.
Krätzig is their other natural left-wing option, and while he can play there, given their lack of depth at left-back and with Gloukh finding minutes out wide, he’s more likely to be used in defence.
However, his adaptability will make him useful in different positions.
Just as in other areas of the team, several players here can substitute in a wide role if needed.
Some wingers can play on both flanks, but the majority are midfielders, full-backs, and forwards, who we’ll get to next.
With the promising trio of Yeo, Baidoo, and Nene, along with the efforts of Gloukh and Krätzig or Terzić if Salzburg opt to play with both at the same time, any money spent on improving the squad might be better re-invested in other positions as they seem well covered on the wings.
And last but not least, the centre-forward position.
In Letšch’s 4-4-2 scheme, Salzburg play with two up front, and with as many as 13 players who can play in those roles on this list, they do seem to have sufficient coverage here.
Do they have enough consistent goalscorers, though?
Given that, besides Nene and Gloukh, who are midfielders by trade, no one in their squad was able to hit double figures in 2024/25, which includes all of these in the strikers’ department, probably not.
Ivorian striker Karim Konaté (21) was well on his way to joining them on 10+ goals, but suffered a torn ACL last November, which he is still recovering from.
Yorbe Vertessen (24) showed some promise that he could be that guy following his winter arrival from Union Berlin, scoring five times in 16 league appearances.
Still, it’s too small a sample size to say whether he could do it for them over a full season.
Young strikers Petar Ratkov (21) and Adam Daghin (19) only managed five goals between them in nearly 2,500 combined league minutes.
Veteran striker Karim Onisiwo (33) also came in over the winter to provide some short-term coverage.
Still, he isn’t going to be the long-term solution, while Enrique Aguilar (18) has hardly been prolific, even at 2. Liga level with Liefering.
Federico Crescenti (20) and Nicoló Turco (21) also showed that they may not be the answer, as evidenced by their performances while out on loan at lower levels.
So while there may be several strikers in their ranks already, there’s a valid question to be asked of whether any of them are capable of putting up the numbers Salzburg will want over a whole season.
Konaté will eventually return and has reached those numbers before, scoring 20 in the 2023/2024 season.
Vertessen showed enough promise in his first few months, but beyond them, Salzburg might be wise to explore investing in an out-and-out goalscorer in this transfer window.
Salzburg Key Problems & Potential Signings
While Salzburg managed to secure a UEFA Champions League qualifying spot on the final day of the season by finishing second, overall, it was a year to forget for the club, marked by some significant lows.
They posted just 16 league wins, the lowest number in their history following the Red Bull takeover 20 years ago.
They also scored just 53 goals, their lowest tally for a season in that same period, alongside the 2010/2011 season.
They also allowed 36 goals, their worst defensive record in a league campaign in a decade.
The last two numbers combined for an overall goal differential of +17, which is also their lowest in the RB era.
There were issues on both ends, some of which have already been addressed in this article, such as a lack of consistent goal scorers and an overreliance on youth in key defensive positions.
The question now becomes, how can Letsch and those in charge of recruitment mitigate these issues if Salzburg is to return to the Austrian summit next year?
Although their transfer budget isn’t public knowledge that we can put a value on, some key details could affect their summer dealings.
The most obvious is their participation in the FIFA Club World Cup, from which they’re expected to make at least €14.81m, including their win over Mexican side Pachuca.
They’ve also already generated €5.80 million from the sales of Ignace Van der Brempt and Lawrence Agyekum to Como and Cercle Brugge, respectively.
That should give them at least €20m to work with, excluding further Club World Cup and European prize money, as well as other sales.
With players like Dedić (€10m), Piątkowski (€4m), and Clark (€6-8m) all likely to be heading out the door, Salzburg will be expecting to pull in another €20m at least through their sales.
Should the Gourna-Douath negotiations reopen with Roma or even another club willing to meet Salzburg’s €19.5m asking price, that could be another big injection into their transfer kitty.
Add a little more here and there by letting some of the returning loan or fringe squad players go, and Salzburg could well have a budget of upwards of €45-50m to work with this summer on re-investing in the squad.
Given our analysis of the current squad, Salzburg’s biggest needs this summer, if they are to dip in the market, will be:
- a goalkeeper (preferably one with enough senior experience that can either be a starter or solid understudy to Schlager)
- a centre-back (depending on whether there is any movement among those already there, but another experienced figure here could be needed)
- a centre-forward (someone who has proven or has the potential to reach double-figures in goal production in the immediate future)
- Potentially: a central midfielder or left winger (this depends on whether someone like Gourna-Douath moves and whether Gloukh will stay out wide or Nene will play more on the right, having another quality player in one of these positions could end up being a smart move to make)
- Potentially: a right-back (depending on what Trummer’s future is and whether he’s seen as ready for a regular first team role)
That’s three, potentially four, signings that Salzburg could need to make to improve their starting lineup and overall squad quality, making them a real contender again in both Austria and Europe.
Based on our recommendations, who are some players they could sign within a €40-50m budget?
Goalkeeper: Nikolas Polster (Wolfsberger AC) – Potential Cost: €3-5m
At goalkeeper, we’ve chosen Nikolas Polster from Wolfsberger AC.
Traditionally, Salzburg usually employs goalkeepers who are native to the DACH region, playing in either their native Austria or neighbouring Germany and Switzerland.
This makes sense, especially for that position, given that familiarity with the German language and being able to coordinate and communicate with the defence in front of them are very important for a goalkeeper.
Polster ticks a lot of boxes that could make him interesting to Salzburg.
Young, an Austrian, had the fourth-most clean sheets in his first season in the league this year and helped his club achieve its biggest-ever success by winning the ÖFB-Cup, securing two penalty shootout victories and a clean sheet in the final.
This also helped him earn a maiden call-up from Ralf Rangnick to the Austrian national team for the FIFA World Cup qualifiers earlier this month, ironically for the injured Schlager.
This marks the completion of an impressive year for the 22-year-old, who will turn 23 next month.
Nikolas Polster Radar Map
Examining his data profile from the 2024/2025 season, which ranks him among other goalkeepers in the division, his numbers appear well-rounded.
He ranks in the 75th percentile or higher, particularly when it comes to passes, progressive passes per 90, and clean sheets.
Although his save rate is a bit low, it’s not particularly concerning given his age and performance in other data points.
So, whether Salzburg is looking for someone to challenge Schlager or be their new long-term #1, Polster appears to be an interesting choice.
And given that he has just two years left on his deal at WAC, who have never sold a player for more than €5m, he’d be a good, affordable option that Salzburg could likely pick up somewhere between €3-5m.
Centre-back: Maximilian Wöber (Leeds United) – Potential Cost: €6-9m / Loan
Moving on to the next possible signing they should target, which is an experienced centre-back.
This one is a bit trickier, given that as things stand, Salzburg have a new signing, Rasmussen, the very talented Gadou, Baidoo, who has been a staple figure under Letsch, and Mellberg, Blank, and Schuster, who are other young prospects.
Without any movement back here, it’s unlikely that Salzburg will be bringing anyone in for this position, but the lack of leadership and experience was an issue this year.
Hence, it’s well worth addressing to meet their targets next term.
A potential solution could be someone who has already played for the club, such as Austrian international Maximilian Wöber.
Realistically, if Salzburg were to look for someone with experience who can add leadership at the back, Wöber would tick many of the boxes.
At 27 years old, he should be heading into the prime years of his career as a defender.
He knows the club well, having spent three and a half years there before a winter 2023 move to Leeds United, and was even captain on several occasions under Jaissle before his departure.
Following a torrid time at Leeds this season, during which he only managed nine appearances due to a mix of injuries and being out of favour, he’ll be looking to make a move this summer as someone who’s still a key member of the Austrian national set-up under Rangnick.
Given his past ties with the club and his likely availability for a cut price, Salzburg should be bringing an offer to the table.
They need a new leader in their backline, which they’ve lacked since the retirement of long-time servant Andreas Ulmer.
Maximilian Wöber Radar Map
Given that Wöber played under 400 minutes spread out across the season at Leeds, there’s very little data to go by to judge him on this year.
Instead, we can examine his radar map from the 2023/2024 season, when he was a regular while on loan at Borussia Mönchengladbach.
As we can see, Wöber’s defensive metrics during his time in Germany, which is more similar to Austria than England in terms of the typical brand of football played, ranked quite high in defensive duels won and positioning, while also having a decent aerial success rate.
On the ball, he was one of the best in his position, particularly in terms of progressive and dangerous passes out from the back, and his contributions in the final third were also strong.
While the latter would be a nice bonus, it’s what he brings defensively in terms of his quality, experience, and leadership skills that would be the real boost for this Salzburg team, especially as he can fill in at both centre-back and left-back.
Wöber will be looking to make a move with Austria, aiming to reach their first World Cup since 1998, given his importance to the national team.
Salzburg will want to be among the potential suitors, whether it be on a loan deal or a permanent transfer.
Centre-Forward: Willem Geubbels (St. Gallen) – Potential Cost: €8-10m
The last position we identified as a priority for Salzburg to strengthen this summer was the centre-forward role, given their lack of a consistent goal-scorer who can hit double figures.
Konaté may well have the potential to fulfil that role, but coming back from an ACL injury is never easy, and Salzburg plays with two strikers most of the time anyway, so another high-volume scorer is needed.
The striker we’ve chosen to go with is 23-year-old Willem Geubbels from St. Gallen in Switzerland.
The Frenchman enjoyed his best year to date, scoring 14 times in the Super League (17 in all competitions), which was enough to earn him a spot in the Team of the Season and see him named Best Forward of the Season in Switzerland.
He’s overcome some of his early career injury and consistency issues to have a breakout year, which has seen him now be linked with clubs in England and Germany as well.
Given that St. Gallen’s valuation of him is between €8-10m, it’s a reasonable fee that Salzburg could potentially make an offer for and bring in someone who can add another dozen goals or so at least to their ranks.
Willem Geubbels Radar Map
Examining Geubbels’ radar map from the 2024/2025 season reveals a notable blend of defensive, offensive, and possession metrics, as he ranks in the 70th percentile across most of them.
His expected goal contribution is particularly high, and while he could improve some aspects of his finishing, his overall threat in the box makes him a valuable target and outlet for his team.
At 6’2′ (1.87 m), he is also a good target and outlet for his team.
He has also adapted well to the high-pressure approach common in this part of Europe.
His pace, for a striker of his size, allows him to get in behind defences or work the channels, drawing on his experience playing on either wing, which he has done in the past.
His passing isn’t his strongest suit, but for Letsch’s direct attacking approach, it likely wouldn’t be a big issue, especially if he’s alongside another striker like Konaté when he returns or Vertessen.
At 23, he can still work to develop this aspect of his game, but his impressive physical attributes and goalscoring potential make him an intriguing option if Salzburg were to pursue signing a striker this summer.
Other Potential RB Salzburg Signings
We also mentioned a potential signing in central midfield and at right back, albeit as of secondary importance given that upgrading other aforementioned positions are of bigger priority.
A couple of players linked to these positions are Julian Weigl (29) of Borussia Mönchengladbach and Schalke’s Taylan Bulut (19).
Weigl would bring a great deal of experience to an overall young midfield, but his high salary could be a barrier to any transfer.
Bulut is a promising up-and-coming right-back who can also fill in centrally and has broken through as a starter at Schalke this past year.
Although he recently signed a new deal with the club, Salzburg is reportedly monitoring a release clause.
Both players are at different stages of their careers, but if deals can be made with them, they would add more quality to this Salzburg roster.
However, it would also depend on whether players like Trummer and Gourna-Douath leave to make room for them, or, in Trummer’s case, whether playing time is split between the reserve side of Liefering, which could happen as things stand.
Salzburg are close to signing Kerim Alajbegović, a 17-year-old left winger from Bayer Leverkusen U19 team.
Whether Alajbegović will join the first team immediately or go to Liefering remains to be seen.
Still, his talent and profile will add a different layer of creativity and spark from the left side when he’s ready.
Salzburg Possible 2025/2026 Squad & Conclusion
Given that the club currently has over 40 players on its books, it would be difficult to take inventory of every single player who should or won’t be part of the first-team squad next season.
Between their reserve team, Liefering, in the 2. Liga, outgoing loan deals to other clubs, and their U19 team, several players have potential destinations that don’t even involve leaving the club permanently, making it difficult to predict where they will all end up.
Therefore, we attempted to consider only the dealings mentioned as possibilities within this article and those that have already occurred, which affect the first team.
Salzburg could end the summer with a profit even after signing the likes of Polster, Wöber, Geubbels, Weigl, and Bulut.
These signings would undoubtedly improve Salzburg’s starting lineup and overall squad quality, provided they are acquired for decent transfer fees.
A significant portion of that will likely be allocated to paying high salaries to Weigl and Wöber.
Still, it could be worthwhile if the mentality is to win now next season, which it will be after two trophy-less seasons.
And depending on the prize money they earn from their continental and international excursions this summer, it could be quite a lucrative time of the year for the Red Bull-owned club.
It would set them up quite nicely to achieve their goal in 2025/2026 of reclaiming their title as Austrian champions again and going deeper in Europe than they have in the last two seasons.
