Kerim Alajbegovic: Bosnia's Bayer Leverkusen-bound wonderkid winger who dreams of playing for Real Madrid

Although he is a budding Bosnia and Herzegovina international, Alajbegovic was actually born in Cologne, Germany, to Bosnian parents. His father and agent, Semin, was also a footballer, spending his entire career in Germany's lower tiers.

Kerim took the first steps on his own football journey at a very young age, joining the academy of hometown club FC Koln in 2013. He would spend eight years developing there before being snapped up by their local rivals Leverkusen in what has proved to be a career-defining early switch.

The Werkself clearly earmarked him as a potentially elite talent, as he starred for the Under-17s in the 2022-23 season at the age of 15. The following season, Alajbegovic was already seeing minutes for the U19s, and his ridiculous return of 28 goals and assists with that age group - including a run of 14 in 13 games - in 2024-25 piqued Salzburg's interest.

Despite his exploits in the youth ranks, Alajbegovic remarkably never actually made a first-team appearance for Leverkusen, although former head coach Xabi Alonso did include him in matchday squads in both the Bundesliga and Champions League during his final season at the helm.

As a result, Aljabegovic headed elsewhere to get his big break, joining Salzburg - notably a part of the Red Bull group of teams that includes RB Leipzig - for just €2 million in July 2025, a matter of months after he had signed his first professional contract with Leverkusen.

The then-17-year-old immediately set about making his former club regret the decision to let him go, scoring on his competitive debut in the Austrian Cup before marking his full Austrian Bundesliga bow with a goal and assist against Grazer AK. His strike was straight out of the top drawer, as he took aim from the edge of the box and unleashed a fierce, dipping drive that flew beyond the goalkeeper.

That marked the beginning of what has been a breakout season for Alajbegovic in his new surroundings, with the teenager going from strength to strength, remarkably prompting Leverkusen to buy him back just eight months after selling him. That's despite him swiftly signing a new four-year contract with Salzburg in September, shortly after turning 18.

Establishing himself as a starter for Die Roten Bullen, the young winger has gone on to notch a combined 17 goals and assists in 44 appearances in all competitions, including a wonder goal in the Europa League against Basel.

At international level, he has been fast-tracked into Bosnia's senior side, having represented his motherland from U15 to U21 level - perhaps with a view to keeping German hands off him.

Alajbegovic will represent his country at the World Cup, too, after playing a key role in their qualification - assisting legendary striker Dzeko for the vital leveller in the play-off semi-final against Wales before keeping his cool to convert the all-important winning penalty in the shootout, and then repeating the feat in the seismic upset of Italy in the final.

Salzburg's own online profile of Alajbegovic says all you need to know about his potential, albeit in pretty hyperbolic terms: "The ferocious talent impresses with his creativity, speed, exceptionally polished technique and willingness to give everything for the team."

When you see him in full flow, though, it's difficult to argue too much. The kind of winger who gets his head down and drives at defenders, Alajbegovic boasts all the trickery and speed you'd expect of a modern elite winger, combined with an attribute that really sets him apart.

Alajbegovic is two-footed, meaning he is capable of cutting in from the left flank and either unleashing a vicious shot - something he loves doing - or creating a chance for one of his team-mates, with his goals against Grazer and Basel prime examples. That ambipedal-ness also means he is versatile enough to play on either wing or as a No.10.

Alajbegovic already stands at 6'1" tall, making him a physically imposing attacking presence already, and that is something he can use to his advantage going forward.

It's clear the youngster has the mentality and self-confidence required to succeed, too. Speaking to FACE TV recently, he said, "When I'm on the pitch, I'm not afraid of anyone! I have a lot of confidence in myself, and I do the same whether I'm playing against a higher or lower-level team."

At the age of 18, Alajbegovic can be forgiven for being a little rough around the edges in certain departments. The teenager will probably want to improve his end product; given some of the excellent positions he gets himself into, a return of four assists in all competitions is a little modest.

Predictably, given his youth, Alajbegovic can be guilty of overplaying at times, and it's been noted that he fades in games. He will also need to work on his defensive contribution - especially in a higher-level league.

The Bosnia international has also collected four yellow cards in his debut season in Austria, suggesting his discipline could be an issue.

Although he idolises Lionel Messi, Alajbegovic's playing style actually bears a striking resemblance to two Paris Saint-Germain superstars: Ousmane Dembele and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

While he shares the latter's Eastern European heritage, head-down dribbling style and height, he also has the rangy-ness and two-footedness that make the former such a special talent.

Indeed, his ball-striking feels particularly similar to Dembele, with Alajbegovic regularly cutting inside and taking aim with both feet from outside the box. He also shares that ability to operate in the half-space, possessing the vision to create openings for his team-mates.

Alajbegovic's exploits this season might have alerted some of Europe's big hitters, as he generates links to the likes of Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Inter and Roma in his home country, but his short-term future is already settled (for now, at least).

Eight months after selling the winger to Salzburg before he had even made his first-team debut, Leverkusen have activated an €8m buy-back clause in the teenager's contract - way bellow his €22m (£19m/$22.5m) market value, per Transfermarkt - to re-sign him on a five-year deal, suggesting they have no plans to immediately sanction another transfer away.

The deal was confirmed as far back as March, with Leverkusen sporting director Simon Rolfes saying the player "has not only fulfilled the high expectations placed in him in Salzburg, he has even exceeded them in a very short space of time".

Addressing the move himself, Alajbegovic said: "For me, it's a step up to another level. I know the club, and Leverkusen have the highest standards. They're a top-16 club in Europe that always competes at the top of the Bundesliga. Many young players have already made it here. I also have that goal."

There is still the possibility, though, that Leverkusen could look to cash in as soon as he returns. The player's father and agent told Bild recently that "many clubs are interested" in his son, before adding: "We deliberately chose to go down the path with Bayer Leverkusen. Our relationship with the club and with those in charge is excellent."

It's clear, though, that the BayArena won't be Alajbegovic's final destination. Speaking to FACE TV recently about his lofty career ambitions, the youngster said: "I'm not a big star yet! There'll be time for that! It's true that I’ll do everything I can to become one. I'd like to play for [Real] Madrid. As a kid, I dreamed of giving my best to play for Real. If it's Barcelona, I don't have a problem with that either."