He speaks four languages fluently. At just 21 years old. Actually, he speaks five languages, because he's been a master of the language of goalscoring since childhood. Tresoldi navigates Italian, German, English, and Spanish, as well as opposing defenders, who must keep an indomitable spirit at bay.
Always smiling and humble, he's been working for a long time to become like his idol Filippo Inzaghi, from whom he learned how to outrun his markers in time and space.
That's how he scored the 1-0 goal last Sunday against Mechelen, when he opened the scoring after less than two minutes of play, beating the goalkeeper and the opposing defender at the near post. He timed it perfectly and also landed a precise strike. His 13th goal in the Jupiler League not only made him the Belgian league's top scorer but also confirmed his extraordinary form.
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Tresoldi is opportunistic in front of goal
Of his 13 goals, seven have come in his last seven matches, a tournament in which his Club Brugge team is playing its first match against champions Union Saint-Gilloise. A remarkable run of form for Tresoldi, who quickly adapted from the German Zweite Liga to the Jupiler League. After a successful Under-21 European Championship with the German national team, where he holds a passport, he's showing the whole of Europe just how established he is as a goal-scoring optimist.
This last nickname was given to the legendary Martin Palermo, a left-footed Argentine version of Inzaghi and a fellow countryman of his mother. But Nicolo boasts a fundamental technique far superior to that of the classic penalty-box striker, and he knows how to link the play together very well. Attacking deep is his forte, as seen in his Champions League goals, but when he needs to drop back to link up with his teammates, he has shown he is equally gifted.
Crossroads
A die-hard AC Milan fan (as he confirmed in an exclusive interview with Flashscore), the 2004-born player is currently going through a difficult period. A move to the German senior national team doesn't seem like a given, especially given the competition from his namesake and former Under-19 teammate Nick Woltemade.
With Italy, however, he might still have a chance. Who knows, though, if anyone has noticed that he's the most prolific Italian player in Europe. Mateo Retegui, in fact, scored all 15 of his goals in Arabia.
Perhaps it's because he plays in a league that's less prestigious on paper, or perhaps because he didn't complete the honorary cursus of youth in Italy, but right now, Tresoldi doesn't seem to be on Gennaro Gattuso's radar. Yet, he has five more goals than Gianluca Scamacca and Moise Kean, the leading Azzurri scorers in Serie A, who have been called up for the World Cup playoffs along with Pio Esposito.
His career now appears to have reached a crossroads as far as internationals are concerned. This is especially true because he still has one U21 Euro with Germany left, the one in the summer of 2027 in Albania and Serbia.
Even assuming Italy participates in this summer's World Cup, the doors for him now seem inexplicably closed. This is also because, as a modern, European-level striker, only Pio currently offers more promise than him, given his recent performances with Inter.
But who knows, maybe, one way or another, he'll manage to smash them like the great battering ram he is. Perhaps by returning to Italy for the first time as a full-time professional. Just as he's dreamed of doing at AC Milan ever since he saw Inzaghi celebrate. Always with the smile of someone who never feels like he's made it. And of someone who enjoys every second he plays football.