Oscar Gloukh is developing very quickly and the day he plays football in the Premier League is probably coming soon when both MU and Liverpool are determined to recruit him.
Red Bull Salzburg has an impressive history of developing talented young players. Sadio Mane, Erling Haaland, Dominik Szoboszlai and Karim Adeyemi honed their skills at the Austrian club before taking to the top stage – and Oscar Gloukh has the chance to follow in their footsteps.
At just 19 years old, Gloukh is hailed as one of the hottest prospects in Europe, and not unreasonably. The young attacker, who played for Maccabi Tel Aviv, and has become a full Israel international, has made an impression since joining the Red Bull Arena under the guidance of Gerhard Struber – showing remarkable maturity. superior to his age.
Gloukh is making himself noticed with his outstanding performances for Salzburg, with Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal all said to be interested in his services ahead of the January transfer window. But what makes this teenager become special? GOAL will review below…
Gloukh was born in the city of Rehovot, 12 miles from Tel Aviv. His father, Maxim, immigrated from Russia to Israel when he was 13 years old and initially discouraged his son’s passion for football.
When he was 5 years old, Oscar participated in four-on-four matches with boys twice his age to practice his skills. Maxim finally accepted the invitation to watch Oscar compete and quickly realized that his son had a unique talent that he could no longer ignore.
“In the past, I spent every day, every time I had, playing in the streets with my friends. I was really small and very young,” Gloukh shared in a recent interview with Daily Mail. “When I was 5 years old, my father didn’t want me to become a professional football player. But after he heard that he needed to see me play, he came and was surprised. He told me: ‘If we want To go far in this career, we must give 100%.'”
Gloukh then earned a place in Maccabi Tel Aviv’s academy and played for the Israeli team from U16 to U21. He has combined his immense talent with hard work, leading him to make his first team debut at just 17 years old – in August 2021.
Maccabi Tel Aviv could not mark the occasion with a victory, as they were eliminated from the Israeli Toto Cup after a penalty shootout against Hapoel Jerusalem, but Gloukh left an impression after coming on in the 62nd minute and scoring from the spot. 11m in penalty shootout.
Gloukh had to wait for a chance to shine in the Israeli Super League, but that chance finally came in April 2022 against the team’s fiercest rivals, Maccabi Haifa. Maccabi Tel Aviv fans quickly applauded every time this teenager touched the ball, because he always created conditions for himself and pushed the team forward on his own. And after just 28 minutes on the field, Gloukh was the one who created the opening score.
After receiving a pass on the edge of the penalty area, the diminutive striker easily beat his marker and prepared himself before unleashing a powerful shot, and his decisive shot found the back of the net with the help of a lucky pass. That goal was almost a big win for Tel Aviv, but Tjaronn Cherry finally broke through with an equalizer for the visitors in second-half stoppage time.
However, the pressure of the derby in front of a crowded audience at Bloomfield Stadium did not make Gloukh flinch at all. When asked about the difference between playing in the youth team and playing for the first time in such a tense atmosphere, he told reporters after the match: “For me, there is no difference – there is only more people in the stands and then you asked me to talk on television!”