Chapter 14: Reorganization (2)

Red Bull, having ascended to the ranks of mega-corporations thanks to the massive profits from its energy drinks, chose sports as the cornerstone of its marketing strategy to craft a hip brand image for younger generations.

The company gained fame by sponsoring extreme sports and daring feats—like the first human to break the sound barrier in freefall from the stratosphere—reaping significant marketing rewards.

Yet, Red Bull pours its greatest efforts into Formula One and football, the two sports with the largest and most widespread fanbases globally.

In Formula One, Red Bull operates two teams: Red Bull Racing and Scuderia AlphaTauri. They dominated with Sebastian Vettel in the early 2010s, winning four consecutive titles, and after a period of struggle, they toppled Mercedes' reign in 2021 with Max Verstappen leading the charge.

In football, Red Bull's investments and operations are managed by the so-called "Red Bull Football Group," overseeing four clubs worldwide:

- RB Salzburg in Austria's top league.

- RB Leipzig in Germany's Bundesliga.

- New York Red Bulls in the MLS.

- Red Bull Bragantino in Brazil's top division.

Each club operates under a unified football philosophy, scouting and developing prospects, sharing expertise, and even rotating coaching staff internally. A seamless system exists to elevate the value of talents unearthed in relatively lower-tier leagues like Austria, Brazil, and the U.S. by transferring them to their Bundesliga sister club.

Among these, RB Salzburg holds a uniquely pivotal role within the Red Bull Football Group.

While its status in football terms isn't as lofty as RB Leipzig's—consistently a Bundesliga top-tier contender—due to its place in Austria's first division, Salzburg's significance lies elsewhere. Located in Austria, Red Bull's homeland, it serves as the initial gateway for young players recruited globally into the Red Bull system, deemed to have the potential to succeed in European football.

At Salzburg—and if needed, its feeder club FC Liefering in Austria's second tier—these players gain experience before moving up to the next level of Red Bull clubs or being sold to top-tier leagues. This RB Salzburg system is widely regarded as one of the world's premier player development programs.

The list of players who've passed through Salzburg's gateway and now shine in the Premier League alone includes Liverpool's Sadio Mané, Takumi Minamino, and Naby Keïta; Wolves' Hwang Hee-chan; Leicester's Patson Daka; and Brighton's Enock Mwepu—six in total. Expand that to Europe's top five leagues, and the number swells to dozens.

Of course, the crown jewel of recent Red Bull alumni is Borussia Dortmund's Erling Haaland, a player coveted by Europe's elite clubs like Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester City, and PSG.

The man wielding the most influence over RB Salzburg's player recruitment and transfers is Mark Lang. Having served at Salzburg for 15 years—moving from coach to manager and now to Technical Director overseeing signings and sales—he's a key figure in the operation.

And Mark Lang was in high spirits after receiving a call from a graduate of Red Bull's lesser-known but equally proud coaching development program.

"Kim! Haha, what an honor to get a call from a Premier League club's official manager!" Mark Lang exclaimed, holding the phone to one ear while striding quickly through the club office's hallways.

Even in his haste, he didn't forget to raise a hand in greeting to the staff he passed.

"…I always thought I'd see you managing a first team someday, but I never imagined you'd pull off some magic and become a Premier League manager just two months after leaving Salzburg! Everyone here's thrilled about your news. Of course, I've been religiously watching Burnley's games lately."

Mark Lang paused as he reached the meeting room door, about to open it with his free hand, when the words from the other end gave him pause.

"…Yeah, of course. I'm always interested in that sort of thing. You know that better than anyone."

Stepping inside, he met the gazes of the people seated around the long table, mid-conversation. Seeing he was on a call, they lowered their voices and resumed talking among themselves.

With the transfer window nearing its close, it was par for the course for the Technical Director's phone to be buzzing nonstop, so they quietly waited for Mark Lang to finish.

Raising an apologetic hand to the group, Mark furrowed his brow, focusing on the proposal coming through the line. After a brief pause to think it over, he responded.

"…That's a very, *very* intriguing offer. I'm just about to head into the transfer committee meeting. I'll discuss it quickly and get back to you."

Hanging up and taking his seat, Mark Lang was immediately questioned by Christopher Freund, the Football Director seated beside him.

"What's up?"

Glancing around at the RB Salzburg transfer committee members now looking at him, Mark Lang smiled.

"Our friend Kim, now in England, just sent over a very interesting proposal."

---

Before the transfer window slammed shut on August 31st, Burnley Football Club successfully secured loans for four promising talents.

Mike Garlick, leveraging his extensive network from his days as chairman, worked tirelessly to bring in two prospects Hyung-min had scouted during his Salzburg stint at European youth tournaments.

The first was Hannibal Mejbri, a Tunisian midfielder from Manchester United's reserves.

The second was Jacob Ramsey, an English midfielder from Aston Villa's reserves.

The pitch—showcasing these near-first-team-ready prospects in the Premier League and guaranteeing them real game time—was enticing enough for both clubs to bite. They set permanent transfer fees far beyond Burnley's reach, but as Hyung-min and the board had hoped, they waived loan fees and covered wages entirely.

Red Bull, however, proved trickier, thanks to RB Salzburg's system being finely tuned for nurturing talent.

"Look, Kim, I want to help you out. But you know how it is. Our kids can unlock their potential and boost their value without Burnley. Honestly, we're more worried about them missing our guidance at this crucial growth stage," Mark Lang said over the phone.

"Alright, fair enough. I'll give you that, Mark. How about this, then?" Hyung-min countered.

"Name a permanent transfer fee for those guys. We'll sign a loan deal with an option to buy at that price, and we'll cover their wages. No loan fee, but we'll agree to a hefty penalty if we don't meet the game-time guarantee. At Burnley, they'll be treated as key first-team players."

"Key players—how key are we talking?"

"Unless they're injured, resting for their own protection, or it's a cup match, they'll start every game."

"…Who do you want?"

Hyung-min took a deep, silent breath, exhaling slowly so it wouldn't carry over the line.

"Nikolas Seiwald and Karim Adeyemi."

He could feel Mark Lang flinch on the other end, followed by a heavy sigh.

"…Christopher and Matthias are going to team up and kill me. Alright, I'll talk to them and let you know."

Hanging up, Mark Lang sighed again.

They'd have to let them go eventually anyway.

But convincing Football Director Christopher Freund and first-team manager Matthias Jaissle to part with two of RB Salzburg's worst-kept secret weapons on the transfer window's final day made his vision blur for a moment.

According to a friend still at Salzburg who later tipped off Hyung-min, Matthias Jaissle was summoned to Mark Lang's office right after the call. Exact details of the conversation remain unknown, but Jaissle reportedly shouted in fury—again and again—before reluctantly agreeing to release two key first-team assets, bowing to the club's structure and profit logic.

Thanks to Red Bull Football Group's robust finances—unfazed by short-term cash flow concerns—Hyung-min gleefully secured these top-tier prospects on loan without a transfer fee upfront.

But as the saying goes, what comes in must go out.

The joy of bolstering the squad was short-lived. At an emergency board meeting called by Helena, Hyung-min was hit with despair.

"Ashley Westwood?!"

"Yes. Norwich made an offer, and honestly, it's too good to turn down."

Norwich's proposal for the 31-year-old veteran midfielder was £10 million in cash, paid upfront upon transfer.

A masterstroke—snagging a quality player while weakening a relegation rival.

Both Norwich and Burnley's board knew the financially shaky club couldn't refuse.

"Could we use some of that money to permanently sign one of the loanees?" Hyung-min asked.

Helena shook her head. "They're already ours on loan, right? We're not paying high wages or anything. Spending big unnecessarily isn't smart right now—keeping them as loanees is more cost-effective. If we get funds later, we'll prioritize buying them outright."

*But that's all contingent on having enough to pay players and staff weekly in the meantime,* she added.

Having just reinforced the midfield with three promising loanees, only to lose a veteran midfielder, Hyung-min silently swallowed the bitter pill of small-club woes.

Whether RB Salzburg's Matthias Jaissle took smug satisfaction in Hyung-min—who'd poached his players—facing the same fate on the transfer window's final day remains unknown.