Bayern Munich will be familiar with this evening’s Champions League opponents Red Bull Salzburg. Any club with a scouting department worth their salt would be.
The Austrian outfit have made a habit of producing some of the top prospects to grace the game in recent years, a steady conveyor belt has moved some of the world’s best talent from the club’s academy, into the Red Bull Arena and then beyond into Europe’s biggest leagues.
It is a process that is working for Salzburg. Despite losing their best players season on season to astronomical bids from Premier League and Bundesliga sides, the flow of talent at the other end is more than enough to replenish their stocks.