Patson Daka: Who is Hamburg's new striker?
A lively striker with a proven track record in Austria, England and at international level - get to know Zambian attacker Patson Daka.
Stats correct as of 22 July
Patson Daka
Age: 27 (born 9 October 1998)
Club: Hamburg
Position: Forward
Country: Zambia
Key stats
Daka piqued the interest of European clubs as a teenager after earning the Zambia Super League Young Player of the Year award in 2016. This resulted in a move to Austrian second division side Liefering, the feeder club of Red Bull Salzburg.
After making the step up to Salzburg's first team, officially putting pen to paper in 2017, the productive striker went on to score 54 goals in 82 league appearances for the Austrian giants, finishing top scorer in season 2020/21 with 27 - an achievement that earned him the accolade of Player of the Year. In his time in Salzburg, he won four league titles and became the first Zambian to find the net in the UEFA Champions League group stage.
Daka subsequently signed a five-year contract with Premier League club Leicester City. During his time at King Power Stadium, he netted 22 league goals and became the club's all-time leading scorer in European competition, but he also endured two successive relegations, the most recent of which led to him being released by the Foxes in May of this year.
On the international stage, the Zambian has been equally prolific, scoring 22 times in 57 matches, a record that has propelled him up to seventh on his national team's all-time top goalscorer chart.
Plays a bit like: Loïs Openda
Daka is an agile, lightning-fast forward who thrives by making rapid runs in behind, just like the former RB Leipzig front man.
Hamburg's new acquisition has a slightly more imposing build, but both are known for their explosive acceleration, excellent off-the-ball movement, and clinical finishing in the box.
Did you know?
During the 2019/20 Austrian Bundesliga season, Daka teamed up with former Borussia Dortmund goal machine Erling Haaland to form one of the most fearsome strikeforces Salzburg fans have ever had the pleasure of watching.
As a pairing, they scored a whopping 40 goals (24 for Daka, 16 for Haaland), helping their club to claim a seventh consecutive league championship.
What they’re saying
"Patson has a lot of qualities we need in our game. He combines energy, pace and movement in behind, giving us extra possibilities in pressing and in transition." - Claus Costa, Hamburg sporting director
"When he plays for us, he's fantastic; he's a special character. He's a natural goalscorer." - Avram Grant, ex-Zambia head coach
