'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The Ralf Rangnick era is underway at Manchester United. The German manager oversaw a narrow 1-0 Premier League win against Crystal Palace in his first game as the Red Devils' interim boss.
Although the performance was not flawless, there were already signs of Rangnick's strategic influence. Manchester United's wing-backs pushed up the pitch, and the team pressed from the front.
Trending
Apart from his significant contribution to the development of gegenpressing, Rangnick is also known for his ability to unearth raw talent. While his tactical impact is already visible, Red Devils fans will hope Rangnick can continue his incredible track record of finding diamonds in the rough.
New Manchester United boss Ralf Rangnick has a history of discovering future superstars
During his 30-year-long coaching career, Ralf Rangnick has had a penchant of identifying talented players and develop them into superstars. That has not only benefited his own teams, but also the likes of Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool, who currently employ Rangnick's former proteges.
On that note, here's a look at five star players who were handed opportunities early in their careers by Ralf Rangnick:
#5 Joshua Kimmich
Arguably the most impressive bargain of Ralf Rangick's career was signing talented 18-year-old right-back Joshua Kimmich from VfB Stuttgart in 2013. At the time, Rangnick was the director of football for RB Leipzig, who paid just €500,000 for Kimmich's services.
The German defender enjoyed a breakout 2013-14 season at Leipzig, helping them secure promotion to the 2.Bundesliga while making 26 appearances. After another impressive campaign in 2014-15, where he played 27 games, Kimmich was snapped up by Bavarian giants Bayern Munich.
The 26-year-old has now made over 270 appearances for Germany's biggest club, along with 64 outings for the national team. Widely acknowledged as one of the most versatile and technically gifted players in world football, Kimmich is expected to captain club and country in the future.
Back in 2017, Rangnick was lavish in his praise of Kimmich, saying:
"I've never seen anything like it. He came to us and, within two years, has become a regular for Bayern and Germany. If he continues to develop like this, he’ll be captain one day. He certainly has the necessary qualities."
#4 David Alaba
Austrian star David Alaba has become a household name after his exploits with Bayern Munich. However, not many know that the defender scored his first Bundesliga goal during a six-month loan spell at 1899 Hoffenheim under Ralf Rangnick.
Alaba, who was 18 at the time, was highly rated by Bayern Munich. But he got his first consistent run of first-team football at Hoffenheim, where he made 18 appearances in the second half of the 2010-11 season.
It proved to be the spark Alaba needed, as he returned to Bayern Munich and nailed down a starting spot. He made 47 appearances in the 2011-12 campaign.
The 29-year-old is one of the best defenders in the world today, and is capable of playing in midfield as well. Alaba made over 400 appearances for Bayern Munich, winning trophies galore, before joining Real Madrid on a free transfer earlier this summer.
#3 Roberto Firmino
Ralf Rangnick and Roberto Firmino enjoyed the briefest of partnerships at 1899 Hoffenheim. Although the German manager was responsible for bringing the Brazilian forward to the club in 2011, Rangnick resigned just a day after signing Firmino.
Before the manager quit the club in protest over the sale of Luiz Gustavo to Bayern Munich, Rangnick pulled off an astounding transfer. Firmino was mired in obscurity at the time, plying his trade for Figueirense in Brazil's Serie B.
Rangnick gambled on the 19-year-old forward, who had just one full season of experience. It paid off, as Firmino made 153 appearances for the German side, scoring 49 goals. In 2015, Liverpool made him the second-most expensive signing in their history by paying €41 million for the striker's services.
He has become an integral part of one of the most feared attacking trios in world football, scoring 70 goals in 219 Premier League appearances for the Merseyside club. Firmino has also won the Premier League and the Champions League with Jurgen Klopp's side.
#2 Sadio Mane
Arguably Rangnick's greatest signing, Sadio Mane is a bonafide superstar. The Senegalese winger finished fourth in the 2019 Ballon d'Or race, and is widely regarded as one of the best players in the world.
Rangnick, who was Red Bull Salzburg's director of football in 2012, signed the then-20-year-old Mane from Metz for €4 million. With just over a season of experience in France's second division, it was an ambitious transfer.
However, it proved to be an inspired decision, as Mane went on to make 87 appearances for Salzburg, scoring 45 goals and assisting 32 times.
Unfortunately, Rangnick and Mane's time together ended on a sour note, as the winger refused to play for the Austrian team and demanded a transfer. He was eventually sold to Southampton in 2014 before he joined Liverpool for €35 million in 2016.
#1 Erling Braut Haaland
Erling Haaland is the most in-demand player in world football right now. His first step before bursting onto the world stage came under Ralf Rangnick at RB Salzburg. The Norwegian rose through the ranks at Molde, where he scored 20 goals in 50 appearances as a teenage prodigy.
Haaland took a step up to Europe's big leagues by joining Salzburg and Rangnick in the Austrian Bundesliga. The 18-year-old left Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's Molde in an €8 million move in early 2019. Despite being targeted by clubs like Leeds United during his time in Norway, Haaland truly caught the eye of Europe's biggest clubs while with Salzburg.
Although his time with Rangnick's team was brief, Haaland displayed remarkable development. He registered seven assists and 29 goals, of which eight came in the UEFA Champions League, where he scored a hat-trick on debut, two years ago.
Less than a year later, Erling Haaland was snapped up by Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund for €20 million. The star striker has bagged 72 goals and 19 assists in 71 appearances for Marco Rose's side. Haaland is expected to fetch a fee north of €100 million when he eventually moves to one of the continent's elite clubs.
