Jurgen Klopp 'Sets Sights on Barcelona Duo' as First Red Bull Signings After Taking on New Role

Jurgen Klopp has turned his attention to young Barcelona talents Aleix Garrido and Noah Darvich as he gears up for his new role at Red Bull.

Starting in the New Year, Klopp will serve as the global head of soccer for the energy drinks company, overseeing a network of clubs that includes RB Leipzig, Red Bull Salzburg, and the New York Red Bulls.

While he won’t be involved in the day-to-day operations of these clubs, the German will provide strategic direction and support to individual sporting directors in promoting the Red Bull philosophy. He will also assist the global scouting team, giving him influence over transfer decisions.

Although he has two months left to unwind, Klopp is already preparing for his new position, compiling a list of potential targets for the January transfer window.

According to Weekend Sports, Klopp is keeping an eye on several young players at Barcelona, with Garrido and Darvich leading the pack. Both have made a mark for Barcelona's reserve team, Atletic, in Spain's third tier.

Garrido made his senior debut for Barcelona in January 2023 but hasn’t featured for the first team since. Darvich has been a regular for Atletic this season and also captains Germany's Under-19 side, although he has yet to make his senior debut.

Klopp has expressed his commitment to enhancing the quality of players within Red Bull's clubs and aims to nurture their development while driving the teams toward greater success.

“After almost 25 years on the sideline, I could not be more excited to get involved in a project like this,” he said after taking the job. “The role may have changed but my passion for football and the people who make the game what it is has not.

“By joining Red Bull at a global level, I want to develop, improve and support the incredible football talent that we have at our disposal. There are many ways that we can do this from using the elite knowledge and experience that Red Bull possesses to learning from other sports and other industries.

“Together we can discover what is possible. I see my role primarily as a mentor for the coaches and management of the Red Bull clubs but ultimately I am one part of an organisation that is unique, innovative and forward looking. As I said, this could not excite me more.”

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Red Bull's CEO of Corporate Projects and Investments, Oliver Mintzlaff, has praised the successful appointment of Klopp, describing the former Liverpool manager as a potential "game-changer." Mintzlaff is confident that Klopp's experience and vision will significantly impact Red Bull's soccer operations and elevate the performance of its clubs.

“We are very proud of this outstanding and certainly the strongest signing in Red Bull's soccer history,” he said. “Jürgen Klopp is one of the greatest and most influential figures in world soccer, with extraordinary skills and charisma.

“In his role as Head of Soccer, he will be a game changer for our involvement in international soccer and its continued development. We are hoping for valuable and decisive impulses in key areas to make the clubs even better, both collectively and individually.”

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