RB Leipzig sells its crown jewels: the supposed first Bayern hunter presses the restart button

Next please!

“It’s an extraordinary opportunity for me,” said the midfielder, explaining his move to Anfield, where he will wear the number 8 jersey, which was once worn by club icon Steven Gerrard for several years. Commenting on the big shoes to fill, Szoboszlai said: “It’s a great number, many great players have had it. And I also have a tattoo of Steven Gerrard.”

Szoboszlai apparently got under his skin the following Gerrard sentence: “Talent is a divine blessing, but worth nothing without incredible will and humility.” The Leipzig team has had plenty of great talent in recent years, and the Saxons have regularly had to part with a few diamonds such as Dayot Upamecano (FC Bayern), Naby Keita and Ibrahima Konaté (both FC Liverpool).

RB breaks away a whole colonnade

The course of events when you – despite the financially strong mother ship called Red Bull – behave as a training club. Or forced to act, because the really big names in world football then come across as a bit more attractive. But this year’s summer is new even for the talent promoters from the hero city.

These days not only isolated columns break away, but an entire colonnade. The reliable top scorer Nkunku at the forefront, behind him the powerful, technically gifted Szobozlai and Laimer as a running ball winning machine on the six. In addition, Josko Gvardiol, the figurehead of the defensive line, is about to jump to Champions League winners Manchester City. The Skyblues are apparently ready to shell out almost 100 million euros for the Croatian, making Gvardiol the most expensive defender in history.

RB in the near future Bayern hunter number one?

For coach Marco Rose anything but rosy prospects. And that after he had led the team, who had been unsettled in the meantime, to the Champions League and to defending the title in the DFB Cup after a desolate start to the season. Not Borussia Dortmund, but RB will be Bayern’s number one pursuer in Germany in the long term, according to the prophecy of some experts such as Erik Meijer from “Sky”.

“I think that Leipzig will be the team that will make life difficult for Bayern in the coming years,” said the former Bundesliga professional. But how is that supposed to work when the most important pillars like Upamecano, Marcel Sabitzer or now Laimer are still inclined to hire the record champions rather than stay in Leipzig when in doubt?

“I can understand the disappointment and concerns of the fans. No club, no responsible person and no coach in the world likes to lose players of this format,” said Eberl in an interview with the “Leipziger Volkszeitung”. Eberl wanted Szoboszlai’s departure to be understood as a further “award for us as a club and for the work that is being done here”.

Promising newcomers, but…

Despite the many well-known departures, he can promise that “we will have a great and exciting team again.” In fact, RB has already made provisions, bagging four promising newcomers so far.

Christoph Baumgartner is moving from league competitor Hoffenheim to Leipzig for 24 million euros, while Benjamin Sesko (24 million euros) and Niclas Seiwald (20 million euros) are coming from sister club Red Bull Salzburg. In addition, Klopp jewel Fábio Carvalho will play for RB for a season on loan.

According to Eberl, they are all “really good guys” who have sufficiently indicated their great potential in the recent past. Whether they are capable of compensating for the extreme loss of quality as quickly as possible seems at least questionable. More players are needed to meet the high demands.

Money plays a subordinate role at the latest after the financially lucrative departures, which – should Gvardiol also go – flush over 200 million euros into the coffers. The future negotiating partners also know this. Eberl did not want to pay “moon prices” by any means, he explained.

RB threatens vicious circle

“Even before my time, RB Leipzig always managed to catch blatant departures. We are still working on that with great enthusiasm and conviction,” assured Eberl and announced the signing of other “extremely exciting” players.

Exciting for sure, but not (yet) at the level of those who have fled to take the next step. The restart button is pressed, Leipzig, the supposed next Bayern hunter, must first build a new axis of success. The crux of the matter is the impending vicious circle. Because if the Saxons manage to conjure up more exciting kickers out of a hat, it should be: next, please!