Exclusive: Jurgen Klopp could help Red Bull beat Liverpool to sign one of Africa's top talents
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Premier League giants Liverpool and Chelsea are keen on Senegal wonderkid Amara Diouf but former Anfield boss Jurgen Klopp could play a major role in his move to the Red Bull group instead.
- Exclusive from Graeme Bailey
After spending the best part of a decade turning Liverpool into one of the most feared teams in European football – Liverpool hammered Bayer Leverkusen 4-0 in midweek as Arne Slot continues to build on his legacy – one of Jurgen Klopp’s first acts after leaving Merseyside could be to the detriment of his beloved old employers.
Klopp will begin his new role as Head of Global Soccer for Red Bull at the start of 2025.
And TBR understands that the Premier League and Champions League winner is already looking to mastermind the capture of one of African football’s top talents, while beating Liverpool to Amara Diouf’s signature along the way.
Liverpool, Chelsea and Barcelona could miss out on Amara Diouf
TBR have been told that, alongside Liverpool, Diouf is also on the radars of Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona.
Capped once for Senegal already at the age of just 16, Diouf is currently tied to the Generation Foot academy.
Crystal Palace winger Ismaila Sarr, Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Pape Matar Sarr and Liverpool legend Sadio Mane also honed their talents with Generation Foot – who have a partnership with French outfit Metz – before heading to Europe.
Diouf is likely to follow in their footsteps when he turns 18 in 2026.
And while Klopp’s Red Bull contract is yet to begin, the German is already expressing some ideas about how the energy drink giants can maintain their impressive track record of unearthing the best young talents on the market.
The likes of Dayot Upamecano, Ibrahima Konate, Josko Gvardiol, Dominik Szoboszlai and the aforementioned Mane all graduated from the Red Bull finishing school. And Klopp appears to believe that Diouf has the potential to continue that trend.
Diouf has seven goals in 10 caps for Senegal at Under 17 level. He also became the youngest player ever to represent the Indomitable Lions on a senior basis recently.
Jurgen Klopp pushing Red Bull switch for Senegal wonderkid Diouf
Mady Toure, the founder and president of Generation Foot, is confident that Diouf will become the latest homegrown talent to continue his development on French soil with Metz.
"At 18, Amara will go to FC Metz,” he said. “It is our partner club, which has helped launch the careers of many Senegalese players."
But if Jurgen Klopp has his way, Diouf will instead cut out the middle man and head straight to the Red Bull ranks, potentially joining Austrian giants Salzburg or German challengers Leipzig.
Klopp’s role at Red Bull, meanwhile, will revolve not around day-to-day activities. Instead, he will play an advisory role overlooking playing philosophy, coaching and transfer strategy.
Red Bull says Klopp will not be involved in day-to-day operations but will advise teams on playing philosophy, transfer strategy and coaching development.
“I want to share the experiences I have collected over the years,” Klopp told the BBC when explaining why he had turned his back on his own managerial career. “We all know there are more successful managers out there. But, in my career I have fought for promotion, fought for titles and I have fought for trophies.
“Sometimes we failed, sometimes we succeeded and dealing with that is not easy, but it is possible. Then I want to learn again. Because when you are in the job and you have to play every three days you barely have the time.
“I want to see, feel and figure out what is useful for football, developing football a little bit as well.”
