Croatian clubs turn
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Five scorers in the last four games for the second representative, interest from abroad and an open question about the club’s future prospects: Tino Kusanovic is undoubtedly an exciting personality at 1. FC Nürnberg with a view to the transfer summer. According to transfer market information, will the homegrown player, who is being courted by several clubs, remain on the way to the professionals at FCN or is there a risk of losing a promising talent at Valznerweiher?
The 18-year-old attacker recently impressed with his performances in the regional league team and provided arguments that make him sought after not only in Nuremberg but also beyond. It is undisputed that the club places a lot of emphasis on the qualities of its own production. When Kusanovic’s contract was extended in February 2025, the then NLZ director Michael Wiesinger attested that the Franconian native was already “making a steep development”. The coming weeks will now be decisive as to whether this will continue at FCN in the future.
At that time, offers had already been received from international clubs for the youngster. In May 2025, Kusanovic made his debut for FCN in the 2nd Bundesliga. Since then he has been a regular member of the professional training squad, although he has not yet played in the current season. When asked, coach Miroslav Klose recently indicated that he was on the list. The World Cup record goalscorer could definitely send a message to his protégé in the season finale. Nuremberg has secured relegation since the 1-0 win against Magdeburg and has less sporting pressure than in the past few weeks. It is entirely possible that Kusanovic will receive more minutes with the professionals.
Kusanovic in focus: Croatia trio vie for talent from 1. FC Nürnberg
In terms of sport, the talent’s path seems to be predetermined anyway. Last season, Kusanovic scored 27 goals in 21 games in the DFB U17 youth league and was the most successful goalgetter in both the preliminary round group C and the main round league A. For comparison: a hit rate that Bayern’s Lennart Karl also had in this league last season. He also attracted international attention. At the U17 World Cup last November, he was the top scorer for the Croatian national team, which only lost to Uzbekistan on penalties in the round of 16. In 2025 he also scored twice in five games for the U18s and most recently also played for the U19 team in the European Championship qualifiers.
It’s no wonder that Kusanovic is also arousing interest elsewhere. According to transfer market information, AC Milan made a concrete offer to FCN in the winter. At that time, both Klose and Wiesinger vetoed – with reference to Kusanovic’s special status as a promising homegrown product. According to TM information, several top clubs from Croatia, Dinamo Zagreb, HNK Rijeka and Hajduk Split, are currently interested in the center forward.
Kusanovic perspective: Ivanović scenario for the club’s own product?
This is a delicate situation for Nuremberg. On the one hand, the club has tied up a homegrown player with great potential for the long term. On the other hand, with every strong week the pressure increases to enable Kusanovic to take the next step. Especially since comparative cases show how quickly a talent can take off via a different development path.
The Croatian attacker Franjo Ivanović, for example, left FC Augsburg II in 2023 as a promising talent for Rijeka, made his breakthrough there and later moved to Benfica via Union Saint-Gilloise. The now 22-year-old has now received a transfer fee of more than 26 million euros, and his market value is currently 18 million euros.
For Nuremberg, Kusanovic is not just about a talented striker, but also about a fundamental strategic question: Will the club manage to lead one of its most exciting homegrown players into professional football or will another club ultimately use its potential? The next few weeks should show this.