Soccer clubs are already spending good money as the January transfer window has opened. RB Leipzig have got their hands on a talented youngster, who goes by the name of Dino Klapija and is fairly unknown in the game of soccer.
The youngster is one to watch for the future, being only 17 years old. He was bought by the club bot for immediate success, but instead to nurture him to become the next big thing in the sport. However, it is surprising that he joined the German club even though he was targeted by many big clubs in England.
Who is Dino Klapija?
Dino Klapija is a 17-year-old teenage player from Croatia who also holds US citizenship. Born in the city of New York in 2007, the youngster plays as a center forward and has shown much promise for his young age.
He first began his career in the academy of MLS club New York City FC, but decided to leave for Europe in 2023. He joined Croatian giant Dinamo Zagreb for free and played for their U-17 team for a month. He then made the move to rival city club NK Kustosija, where he also played on the U-17 team until now.
RB Leipzig have decided to pay a fee of £4.8 million for the Croatian, and Kustosija also reserves a 10% sell-on clause. This shows how much of a talent the player is, despite being very unknown.
Dino Klapija’s goal from outside box pic.twitter.com/t9YjFEYpqz
— Zinger Parata (@zingerparata) January 9, 2024
Klapija, who has dual citizenship in both Croatia and the US, is one of the most sought-after teenagers. Though he has yet to choose which country he will play for, he has played for the Croatian U-17 team twice. He is often called the biggest talent from Croatia and is expected to be their next big superstar. Being only 17, the sky is the limit for the young superstar.
Manchester United, Arsenal miss out on Klapija
Being such a huge talent, Dino Klapija was also sought after by two big Premier League giants, Arsenal and Manchester United. Both clubs sent scouts to watch him in Croatia, but the former were more strong in their interest in him, with manager Mikel Arteta wanting him badly. Arsenal even offered the player’s family to move to London in order for the transfer to happen.
But both Klapija and his family have instead decided to sign with RB Leipzig, which is known for bringing out some of the best talents in recent times, including injured Chelsea star Christopher Nkunku.
🚨 Arsenal have missed out in the race for highly-rated Croatia teen forward Dino Klapija. 🇭🇷
— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) January 9, 2024
The 16-year-old and his family have decided to sign for RB Leipzig in a deal worth £4.8m.
(Source: @MailSport) pic.twitter.com/wHtKlXMTgu
They think that the Bundesliga club would be a better place for the youngster to develop into an even better soccer player and would also quickly transition into the first team, with more game time possible. Whereas in England, he would have been playing for the youth teams or be on the bench.
It remains to be seen whether Dino Klapija grows at RB Leipzig and whether he even gets to play in the next games of the club. Where would you want to see Klapija play? Tell us in the comments section.
