Who is Luca Koleosho? USMNT-eligible Burnley winger from Connecticut is making waves in the English Championship

In international football, recruiting dual nationality players is an ever-moving target, but it is one that managers must keep track of to ensure the best talent pool is available to their teams. There is a fine balance between developing talent and recruiting players, but in some cases both can be achieved. Burnley winger Luca Koleosho, born in Norwalk, Connecticut, could be the next dual national to watch.

The 19-year-old, born in 2004 in the United States, is eligible to represent the United States, Canada, Italy or Nigeria at international level. Currently a youth international for Italy, several countries are interested in Koleosho due to the fact that he plans to be a starting winger in a top five league, something that any team around the world could improve on.

Here’s what you need to know about him:

Who is Luca Koleosho?

The Connecticut native started his youth career with Trumbull United in his home state before playing for the Manhattan Kickers. He then went to Spain and joined club Reus before joining Espanyol.

After starting his professional career with Espanyol in Spain, Koleosho made the move to England in the summer of 2023, joining Burnley before making his debut for the Clarets in their return to the Premier League. He would score his first Premier League goal on December 2, 2023, against Sheffield United, but his season was cut short after he suffered a knee injury later that month. Burnley were relegated and while his young attacking partner Wilson Odobert has made a move to Tottenham, Koleosho is still there to help guide the side back from the Championship to the Premier League under Scott Parker.

He scored his first goal for Burnley since his injury on 27 August in a route away from Cardiff City, as he put in a strong all-round performance. The young winger is good with the ball at his feet and needs more minutes to acquire the key to unlocking stronger defences, but becoming a starter for the Clarets at such a young age will give him every opportunity to gain that experience to do. It is no surprise that despite being so young he is such a highly sought after player on the international stage, but given his trajectory, Koleosho is someone who could contribute to a country in the 2026 World Cup when he is 21.

Koleosho has already made thirteen international appearances between the American youth and Italy. When Koleosho was drafted by Canada in 2022, he did not close the door to the United States, according to ESPNbut there is a three-way appeal to his services.

Fittingly for the USMNT

Winger is a position where the United States has depth but is in limbo. Gio Reyna has uncertain playing time at Borussia Dortmund and Tim Weah has been in and out of the Juventus set-up and is now injured. Koleosho can play on either side or centrally in support of a striker, so depending on the formation he has the versatility to flourish wherever he is needed.

Depth is also a concern for the USMNT, which is perhaps the biggest boon a talented young forward could bring. The starting XI for the USMNT is competitive against most countries, but there aren’t many game-changers in attack who can be introduced from the bench or rotated into the XI in knockout tournaments. It was an issue at the 2022 World Cup when the USMNT were run off the field by the Netherlands and continued to rear its ugly head.

The younger players in the USMNT pool will make progress in the future, but there is no harm in adding another talented player to the ranks as long as Koleosho is willing to fight for a spot in the starting XI. Sometimes players want to have their minutes guaranteed when moving from one international team to another, but that can throw off the balance of a squad, so it’s something the USMNT should avoid if push comes to shove.

Projections

It’s hard to say where Koleosho will ultimately end up, but he is a player who will join someone in reaching the 2026 World Cup. Even if he stays with Italy, Koleosho will have a chance to make the squad given his talent level, but that path is clearer with the United States or Canada. Considering Jesse Marsch has already spoken about how he hopes Canada will have success at the Copa America turned the heads of more people with dual nationalityit will be a matter of timing.

While Canada is already on the hunt for dual nationals, the USMNT is in the process of hiring a new head coach, i.e expected to be Mauricio Pochettino. With resources being diverted, that’s a chance for Canada to see if they can get Koleosho on board, but the earliest this will likely come to a conclusion is the Concacaf Nations League, with the quarterfinals starting in November this year.