The 16-year-old attacking midfielder is regarded as one of German football's brightest talents and is eyeing a first-team debut.
Whether it's through development from an early age of buying teenagers on the cusp of being ready for first-team action, Bayern Munich have been raising the bar when it comes to giving youth a chance at the elite level in recent years.
The likes of Jamal Musiala, Mathys Tel and Paul Wanner have all broken club records as the youngest players or goalscorers in Bayern's illustrious history over the past three seasons, and they will not the be the last teenagers who make an impact on the first team in Bavaria over the next few years.
One such name to look out for is Arijon Ibrahimovic, who has been tearing up youth football in Germany for a number of years and is now being talked about as the next cab off the rank in terms of senior recognition.
But who is he, and what makes the 16-year-old so special? Let NXGN break Ibrahimovic down…
Getty ImagesWhere it all began
Before we get to how Ibrahimovic's footballing career began, let's deal with the elephant in the room first shall we…
No, he is not related to Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Understood? Right, then let's continue.
Arijon was born in Nuremburg to Kosovan parents, and spent time in the academies of both Greuther Furth and Nurnberg before joining Bayern at the age of 12 in 2018.
Clearly a level above the majority of players his own age, Ibrahimovic was soon being tested against players who were two or three years older than him – a theme that carried through to him making his Under-19s debut as a 15-year-old in August 2021.
He needed less than three games at that level to score his first goal of seven in the 25 games he played for the U19s in 2021-22, while he also provided 14 assists.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesThe big break
Though well-known among Bayern Munich fans and those who follow Germany's age-group sides, Ibrahimovic came to wider attention in January 2022 when he, along with fellow 16-year-old Paul Wanner, was rushed back from an international training camp in Spain to join the Bayern first-team squad.
Julian Nagelsmann's side returned from their winter break with a team that was decimated by players being forced to quarantine thanks to positive Covid-19 tests, and thus needed reinforcements.
Ibrahimovic had already caught the first-team manager's eye when training with the senior squad during pre-season, and was named on the bench against Borussia Monchengladbach.
Unlike Wanner, who came on to become Bayern's youngest-ever player, Ibrahimovic did not see any game time, but his inclusion in the matchday squad served notice of just how highly he is thought of at the Allianz Arena.
Getty ImagesHow it's going
Ibrahimovic is still waiting for another opportunity to force himself into Nagelsmann's plans, but for the time being he is doing everything right to prove that he is ready.
So far this season, he has scored nine goals and provided four assists in 10 games for Bayern's U19s, with his seven league strikes making him the top scorer in their regional division, despite being the third-youngest player on the team.
He has also made his debut for Bayern's reserves, who play in the fourth division of German football, as well as Germany U18s, for whom he netted on his debut against the Czech Republic.
Getty ImagesBiggest strengths
Ibrahimovic is notionally an attacking midfielder, though he has been known to play out wide on occasion as a narrow winger tasked with making diagonal runs into the penalty area.
His main strength lies in his ball control, with his dribbling ability particularly eye-catching.
His impressive goal record also illustrates his excellent shooting ability, with his late runs into the box making him a nightmare for defenders to pick up.
"He is an instinct footballer," says Holger Seitz, Bayern's academy director, when speaking NXGN and SPOX about Ibrahimovic. "He has excellent technical ability and a very good understanding of the game.
"When he plays, he often only needs one touch to keep the game moving. Relating to this, he has outstanding speed of thought and action.
"He brings a lot of dynamism into his duels and is excellent when shooting."