Hidden gems: Five Swiss Super League talents for the Bundesliga

It’s close before the winter transfer window opens again, which is a great opportunity for strengthening the squad for the second half of the season and maybe signing some players that should have been in focus for the summer anyway. In Bundesliga history, more than 60 players under the age of 23 have joined the Bundesliga for now and it’s likely that some more will follow in the near future.

Everything else would be a big surprise, since the experiences with players coming from the Swiss Super League have been overall good. Some of them even became excellent as well as successful, like for example Manuel Akanji, Xherdan Shaqiri, Denis Zakaria, Granit Xhaka, Nico Elvedi or Breel Embolo.

This is why we’re looking for the best talents from Switzerland and want to introduce at least five of them. A tough choice that we had to make, and we absolutely recommend you give the Swiss Super League a try and see those incredibly gifted talents on your own. 

Alvyn Sanches (22, AM, Young Boys)

One of the most interesting players in Switzerland and probably someone to leave Switzerland soon is Alvyn Sanches from Bern. The attacking midfielder improved a lot in the past three years, became a starter in Lausanne, proved himself in the second and first league and got transferred to Bern close after.

The interest in Sanches always increased, also on an international level. With Borussia M’gladbach there was also one Bundesliga club showing strong interest in signing him, besides clubs like Benfica, Leeds United, or Newcastle United. Unfortunately, Sanches faced a cruciate ligament tear and was missing most of the second half of last season. A summer transfer was too risky for many clubs, which is why he stayed in Bern.

It took a while for him to get back to the pitch, but in the last couple of weeks, Sanches really made some progress and developed impressively. If he were able to catch up on those performances and at least keep his level, the 22-year-old Swiss will definitely become a topic for some bigger international clubs again, and maybe the Bundesliga has some good chances to get him on board.

Marvin Keller (23, GK, Young Boys)

Another interesting prospect from Bern is goalkeeper Marvin Keller. After many years in the Grasshoppers academy, the talented goalie joined Young Boys in February 2023. After a loan season in Winterthur, Keller came back and earned his spot in the starting eleven of the club as well as proved himself in the Champions and Europa League since then.

His good performances brought him into the Swiss national team as well, but the competition there has been quite high for years, and that’s why he couldn’t start there until now. It’s no secret that Keller, of course, wants to establish himself there as well as wants to take the next steps in his career in the near future. 

Therefore, a move to the German Bundesliga could be an interesting option for him. As of now, a couple of clubs could potentially need an even better goalkeeper than they do or in order to create a tougher competition. Clubs like Union Berlin, Mainz or Frankfurt could maybe need some reinforcements. Also, Stuttgart needs to think about their goalkeeper of the future since it’s unlikely that Nübel will stay there. Maybe this opens a door for Keller and we’ll see him play in Germany in the future.

Jaouen Hadjam (22, LB, Young Boys)

We know and understand that it’s potentially getting a bit boring now, but the third player is also from Bern. Hadjam needs to be mentioned when we’re talking about talented young players, and the left-back has made great improvements since he joined from Nantes in January 2024.

The 22-year-old defender became a starter directly after his transfer and became an important player of the team too. He barely missed a match since then, improved himself day by day, and slowly became one of the most interesting players in Switzerland. Today, his performances really stand out. Hadjam shows great defensive skills like interceptions and successful take-ons, where he is one of the best left-backs in the world statistically, but also a threat in the offensive part of the match.

This combination of strong defensive work and contribution to the offense makes him an absolute gem in the Super League. Such a player could be needed in many clubs and maybe in the Bundesliga too. Borussia Dortmund is looking to strengthen its left side, according to reports, and maybe he could also become an alternative if Grimaldo leaves Leverkusen. Furthermore, clubs like Bremen, Hoffenheim or Gladbach could be interesting options for him as well.

Alessandro Vogt (20, CF, FC St. Gallen)

Finally, the first player not playing for Bern and one of the greatest shooting stars of this season: Alessandro Vogt. The center-forward fought for years to get his chance in the first team and to earn some playing time. Last season, he scored and performed so well for the second team that he could make his debut with the pros. A great form of appreciation for talents.

This season Vogt established himself in the starting eleven from the get-go. A bit surprisingly, but he underlines this decision in the best possible way with strong performances. So far, Vogt has already scored eight goals and assisted three more, which has brought him into the spotlight of some international clubs already.

Both interested clubs are already from the Bundesliga, with TSG 1899 Hoffenheim and VfL Wolfsburg. Especially, Wolfsburg could need some signings after a bad first half-season. In Hoffenheim, Vogt could become a successor of Fisnik Asllani, who is most likely to leave in summer. Both clubs could be interesting new destinations for Vogt, and it remains to be seen where he sees the best possible step for his career.

Cheveyo Tsawa (19, CM, FC Zürich)

Last but not least in our list is Cheveyo Tsawa, one of the biggest talents in Switzerland right now. The central midfielder developed extremely well in the last few years and slowly earned more playing time. In the second half of last season, Tsawa already came close to becoming a starter and earned more time on the pitch.

This season, Tsawa finally made it and became a starter at the age of just 18 years. If this isn’t incredible enough, a look at his stats is impressive as well. Tsawa is already convincing with a safe passing game as well as lots of power in offense. In terms of created chances, he is already one of the best players in the league. This is probably why he is fouled pretty much too, which allows his team to become a threat with set pieces.

Such a talent like Tsawa will most likely not stay in the Swiss Super League for a long time. It’s already rumored that Club Brugge has taken a closer look at him, and this move could really make sense since the Belgium side proved that they can develop young players. Bundesliga clubs should definitely be quick and aggressive if they want to have a chance here and the transfer fee shouldn’t be as high for now as it will probably be in the future.

Many more Swiss players are keen on their next career step

Those are just five of many more extremely talented players in the Swiss Super League right now. We could have extended the list with many more talents like Bung Meng Freimann, Cyrill May, Lucas Silva, or Olivier Mambwa, who had his debut for the professionals at the age of just 16 years.

Hopefully, those players show what sort of potential this market still has and underline why Bundesliga clubs should keep an eye on this league. In the end, it’s not only about them following the league, but they could also have an exciting time there. Maybe some spectators enjoy betting on the league as well. Therefore, it’s important to be informed about sports betting in Switzerland as well. To be fair, this is just something additional, and the league is already exciting and enough fun to watch. 

Maybe it’s more interesting to brainstorm with friends about the next steps of some players, and with a bit of luck, their way leads them into the German Bundesliga.