Nestory Irankunda's crazy goal compilation emerges as he nears Bayern Munich move | OneFootball

Highlights

Bayern Munich are, according to the ever-reliable Fabrizio Romano, closing in on signing 17-year-old starlet Nestory Irankunda from Australian outfit Adelaide United. And while he may not be a household name at the moment, he has the potential to be the next best thing, seeing as he is still at such a tender age.

A catalogue of emphatic strikes, usually courtesy of his disastrous right foot, have gone viral on X (formerly Twitter) and it’s enough to get any fan excited about the move, worth in the region of £3m plus additional add-ons. Tipped as a future Socceroo ace at 17 years of age, Ikankunda is carrying the burden of flying the Australia flag high as he is poised to become the most expensive transfer in Australian history, surpassing that of Marco Tilio’s summer switch to Celtic.

Unable to make the switch to European shores until February 2024, a month after the transfer window ends, due to FIFA regulations, those of a Bavaria persuasion will have to wait that little bit longer before having the supremely talented in their grasp, as will Harry Kane - one of the top 10 contenders for the 2024's edition of the Ballon d'Or - who could benefit from the youngster's drive and hunger to succeed. But there are, however, some issues still to iron out.

Nestory Irankunda's career so far

First off, there’s no denying that Irankunda has a sweet right foot, scary enough to strike fear into any shot-stopper – but more on that later. The Tanzania-born ace is a winger who has taken the A-League by storm and now has the hopes and dreams of every native Australian on his shoulders. Joining Adelaide in January 2021, he quickly earnt his promotion to the first team after netting three goals in 15 outings for the club’s NPL squad before bagging seven in 13 games for the reserve side.

Across last campaign, the youngster made a total of 14 appearances and notched four senior goals and became quite the regular under coach Carl Veart. The dynamic wide man is quick enough to beat a man, while proving to be a nuisance in behind with his feint trickery and ability to howitzer one in the upper echelon.

Internationally, Irankunda has the possibility of representing Burundi, Australia, or Tanzania – his birth country. Though, he has already plied his trade for the Australia U17 team, scoring 11 goals in just seven outings.

Nestory Irankunda’s outstanding showreel of goals

Since being promoted to Adelaide’s first team, the exciting prospect has notched nine goals and two assists in his 39-game career – and week upon week, gives their supporters something to lift bums off their seats.

Something that instantly stands out is his wicked right foot. And with many a year left in the tank, the inevitability of him cutting in and putting it in the area of no contest Arjen Robben style will only increase tenfold. Couple that with his acrobatic celebration and the Bavarians will have a future superstar at their disposal. Clip after clip, the teenage phenom can be seen bursting the net at its seams as – once again – one of his thunderbolts has left the respective goalkeeper hapless. You can take a look at his incredible catalogue of goals below…

One issue that may arise, as is with many young stars, is his disciplinary record. The unbearable weight of expectation - from thousands of Australians - on his shoulders will be enough to make the greatest of players crack.

Most recently, in a domestic match-up against table-topping Melbourne Victory, Irankunda was shown a red card and given his marching orders as tempers flared in the dying stages. Acting furiously towards referee Alex King’s failure to award Chris Ikonomidis a caution of any kind, the youngster received his second yellow card of the game for dissent.

The weight of being the poster boy for the league proved too much for Irankunda at that moment of time, but with a move to one of Europe’s powerhouses under the watch of seasoned boss Thomas Tuchel, who went viral for a bizarre interview recently, on the horizon, it will be an aspect of his game he’ll need to eradicate – especially if he is to make it to the very top.