It’s been an October to savour for Club Brugge hitman Nicolo Tresoldi.
The 22-year-old bagged a hat-trick in a fine 4-3 win over Inter Milan earlier this month. He then scored three times in a 3-2 win over St. Truiden over the weekend. Club Brugge are adamant their star striker isn’t for sale as the January window looms. It’s easy to see why.
Having scored 19 goals in his debut Belgian Jupiler Pro League campaign, Tresoldi is well on course to better that haul. Provided, of course, Club Brugge are able to retain his services in the New Year. The goalscoring form, both domestically and on the continent, has caught the attention of a number of European heavyweights.
In this article, we’ll cover:
Premier League trio Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City have all been credited with an interest. Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur are both believed to be keeping tabs on the Italy-born Germany U21 international. This is a striker that failed to net more than seven league goals in a season in the 2.Bundesliga prior to his 2025 switch to Belgium. He’s hitting his stride, and then some.
Tresoldi had been attracting interest in Germany prior to his Club Brugge move. However, he’d hardly pulled up many trees during his time with Hannover. Attention quickly rises when you score a hat-trick at the home of the defending Serie A champions.
Impressive work in the box
What stands out about Tresoldi is the willingness to chance his luck. The confidence in his ability to test goalkeepers. Only Ilias Sebaoui (35) has had more shots than the Club Brugge man (30) in the Belgian Pro League this season. With seven league goals to his name, Tresoldi boasts a commendable 23.3% conversion rate. Of the 82 players to fire off at least 10 shots, that return ranks 14th in Belgium’s top tier this term.
Crucially is that of the seven goals he has scored, six are deemed to have been big chances. Feed Tresoldi, and he’ll score. The youngster is incredibly active inside the opposition penalty area, with all seven goals scored inside the 18-yard box. What’s noticeable, too, is that 50 touches inside the opposition box isn’t even top in the Jupiler League.
It’s a metric topped by teammate Carlos Forbs (71). Tresoldi won’t be on the ball much inside the penalty box, but when he is picked out, chances are he’ll look to add to his goal haul. What this does mean is that Tresoldi is also a striker who won’t wait for the ball to come to him, and instead remains incredibly active outside of the box.
Notable link-up play
Indeed, he’s willing to drop deeper to link up the play. A 78.8% pass accuracy from 20.7 passes per 90 in Belgium’s top tier this term is commendable for a forward. He is able to drag markers out of position. This mobility is a precious commodity for a modern-day striker. It doesn’t matter if he is playing against a team that deploys a low block. He’s able to use his clever movement to help open up space in the final third regardless.
Additionally, Tresoldi is able to hold the ball up effectively, thus easing pressure on his side’s goal. The forward is being dispossessed just 1.5 times per 90, which is again notable for a striker. Tresoldi doesn’t offer much in the way of taking markers on. However, he can receive the ball to feet with his back to goal before laying off for a teammate, thus increasing the likelihood of overloads to overwhelm opponents.
After all, Club Brugge rank top for possession (62.6%) in the 2026/27 Belgian Jupiler Pro campaign. Teams will naturally sit deeper against Ivan Leko’s side. There are times where the ball carrying stars in the squad will be unable to punch a hole in the defence. Tresoldi’s hold-up and link-up play is a hugely effective weapon to call upon.
A target for defences
Here, the Belgian giants would be able to play quick one-twos to neatly play their way around defences. Doing so offers another potential route to goal. Tresoldi is one of the most fouled players in the division. 14 fouls against ranks 12th. The young striker is a target for markers.
Club Brugge, though, have turned this to a strength. Five set-piece goals, excluding penalties, is the third most in the league. Tresoldi has to ride challenges, and he receives the odd bump and bruise, but it’s worth it for the good of the team.
Furthermore, Tresoldi is willing to work hard out of possession to force high turnovers. Club Brugge rank third for possession won in the attacking third (44). Of those, Tresoldi has done so six times, that in itself the 13th most in the league. It means they can quickly capitalise upon opposition mistakes to put teams to the sword.
Ready for a big move?
There are obvious concerns about spending big on signing a player that thrived Belgium. Arsenal enjoyed early success with former Club Brugge man Christos Tzolis prior to his hamstring injury. It’s a risk, however, particularly for a striker in the infancy of his career.
Other players have also departed Europe’s so-called “lesser” leagues and struggled elsewhere. Viktor Gyokeres, Paul Onuachu and Cenk Tosun all moved to England previously, yet struggled.
Saying that, Tresoldi has the makings of the perfect modern-day forward. That he’s shining in the Champions League suggests he’s able to transition to the grand stage. Club Brugge will have their work cut out to keep him on the books at the turn of the year.