Tresoldi's race for glory: Can he convince Klopp when averaging a goal per game?

It may not be the Milan or London derby, but the clash between Club Brugge and Cercle Brugge is still a showdown where the winner takes home plenty of glory. Nicolo Tresoldi decided the latest encounter between the two Belgian city rivals with one of his trademark goals - effortless for him. A graceful first touch and a sharp outside-foot finish from close range.

Scoring comes naturally to the 2004-born striker, who just turned 22 a few days ago and is maintaining the productive streak that carried over from last season.

In that campaign, he claimed the Jupiler League top scorer title, even though he didn't start as a regular. So far, the Italian-German has netted three goals in three matches at the start of this Belgian league season, where his team aims to stay at the top after last year's triumph.

On the radar of the big clubs

His excitement after winning the most anticipated match of the season was clear when, at the final whistle, he waved the Blauw en Zwart flag with the pure joy that has always defined him.

His third goal in three games - plus one in the Super Cup - at the start of this Belgian league campaign marked not only victory in the city derby but also a turning point: Tresoldi has become a striker whose consistency is his trademark. In front of goal, he's as clinical as his idol Filippo Inzaghi, and he shares the same joy for every goal scored.

Yet, his profile is that of a humble, always-smiling young man who knows the value of hard work. He doesn't just rely on his reputation or his natural ability to attack space and find decisive moves.

Able to link up naturally with teammates, he takes part in the build-up and finishes it off. In short, he's a complete centre forward. It's no surprise, then, that Barcelona and Atletico Madrid are interested in him to strengthen their attack. 

The feeling, however, is that given his exceptional intelligence, he intends to see out his second season with Brugge. Why? First, because of the genuine bond he's built with the club and its environment; second, because he wants to achieve full maturity by completing a project of at least two years. Cutting that journey short would be a big risk, while a Champions League campaign as a guaranteed starter with the Belgians could take him even higher.

Listen to Flashscore News!

Selected editorial stories, including this article, are also available as audio. Listen and follow on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Klopp calling?

Beyond the transfer market, there's the national team question. Nicolò has come up through all the German youth ranks, and his presence at Euro 2027 with the Under-21s is almost certain. But what he's shown so far has pushed him to a higher level - a level that means the senior national team, now led by Jurgen Klopp. The competition up front is tough, but while Kai Havertz is a reliable asset and Deniz Undav had a good World Cup, neither is a true poacher like the Cagliari-born striker.

His friend and former teammate in the German Under-21s, Nick Woltemade, has yet to fulfil his promise and is not a starter at Newcastle.

This means the new manager of Germany could seriously consider Tresoldi for the Nations League matches scheduled for September and October. But keep an eye on Italy as well.

Roberto Mancini is starting a new project with the Azzurri and could target him to take a goal scorer away from their long-time rivals. At that point, though, the choice would be up to Tresoldi alone.