In the place where Erling Haaland stood out, with his appearance like an armored tank and 1.94 meters tall, another totally different forward is beginning to emerge, who measures 1.78, but has the goal between his eyebrows. Karim Konaté, the 19-year-old Ivorian pearl, who signed last season for Red Bull Salzburg, Real Sociedad’s Champions League rival (18:45, Movistar), renewed his contract with the Austrian club three weeks ago for the next five seasons.
Probably, as in the case of Haaland, he will not complete them if he continues his progression, because the big clubs in Europe already have their eyes set on him, and the team from the city where the child prodigy par excellence, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, was born , would be willing to cash in on the new precocious young man who excites his countrymen.
He will be the great threat of the realistic defense at the Red Bull Arena. He arrived in Salzburg from his country, after having already debuted with the Ivory Coast national team, and became part of Liefering, one of RB’s subsidiary teams, with which he scored 15 goals in 18 games, having just completed his majority. old. In addition, he participated with the Salzburg youth team in the Youth League, and in seven games he scored six goals and gave two assists. With this background, Konaté gradually integrated into the first team. He played 186 minutes in nine games and scored three goals.
The former Salzburg player, Zlatko Junuzovic, who now acts as an advisor to the Austrian club, assured last May that Konaté’s future is very promising. “I’m far from comparing him to Haaland, but he has the same objectives,” he said. “He makes sure to score the goal and not try anything flashy. He has a goal in mind and he executes it.”
For Christoph Freund, Bayern’s sporting director, who was Salzburg’s previous season, “Karim is one of the most talented and exciting players I have ever seen in my life and we know which forwards have passed through this team,” he confesses in statements to sky sports. “He is an exceptional player and I am almost sure that he will have a great career because he has a clear head, works hard and knows what he wants.” And he adds: “AlsoI bet he will be Austria’s top scorer this year.”
Real’s rival lost Sesko, who went to Leipzig, Okafor, who signed for Milan and Diakité, who plays for Reims, so Konaté moved up the ranks, until he became one of the keys to their team. equipment. In the nine games he has played in the Austrian Bundesliga, he has scored five goals, plus another two in the Cup.
Konaté began playing soccer in the street, like all children in the Ivory Coast, he stood out in his neighborhood and joined the ASEC Mimosas academy, the best team in his country. The club’s leaders noticed his qualities when he stood out as the top scorer in a children’s tournament that his team lost. Between 2020 and 2022, still at youth age, he contributed to his team’s national titles with a ratio of almost one goal per game. Several European teams were interested in him. “I chose Salzburg. It was the best choice taking into account his past with African players and with the aim of developing me,” the player explained in an interview with Actu Foot Afrique.
“They came to Abidjan and then invited me to visit the facilities. “I thought this was the club for me.” With an obsession for goals and a great header despite not reaching 1.80 meters, Konaté will be the threat for Real Sociedad. It wouldn’t be if he had fulfilled his great European dream: “I always wanted to play for Olympique Lyonnais.”
You can follow EL PAÍS Deportes inFacebook andxor sign up here to receiveour weekly newsletter.
.
.
