RB Leipzig's flying Scotsman Oliver Burke bucks the trend

Footballing headlines in the close season are usually reserved for the free-spending Premier League, where money is seemingly valued differently to the rest of the world. With each Manchester club reportedly spending more than 150 million pounds (179 million euros, $201 million) this summer, it's clear who the main protagonists are in the must-see show that is the transfer window.

Sometimes England's top flight is generous enough to offer supporting roles to the rest of Europe's elite. This summer though newly promoted RB Leipzig landed themselves a speaking role when they acquired Oliver Burke from English second-tier club Nottingham Forest for a reported15 million euros.

It's not often a 19-year-old Scotsman grabs the headlines in world football, but that's exactly what Burke did when he moved to the eastern German club, becoming the most expensive Scottish footballer ever. Despite reported interest from the Premier League and Bayern Munich, the teenager opted to join Red Bull's project in Leipzig.

'It was a surprise'

"When I found out [Nottingham] Forest agreed a deal to sell me, it was a surprise," Burke told the "Nottingham Post" when asked about his departure. His choice of words may suggest a level of humility but could also reveal his shock that the Reds were prepared to sell him so soon after an impressive breakthrough campaign last season.

Burke made only 25 appearances for Forest in the Championship last season, but this was enough for him to showcase his abilities. Possessing the confidence of a seasoned professional, Burke consistently troubled accomplished fullbacks as he darted at them on a weekly basis, earning himself comparisons with Gareth Bale in the process.

As such, it came as little surprise that Burke contributed directly to five goals in his five Championship matches this season for Forest, scoring four and assisting on one. His refreshingly direct style of play swiftly made him a fan favorite on the banks of the River Trent and many will expect more of the same beside the White Elster river.

A Scotsman abroad

It's rare for British players to move to other European leagues, in part due to the huge sums that they can earn in the Premier League. Yet Burke is set to join a very short list of Scotsmen to ply their trade in Germany's top tier.

Indeed, the Bundesliga hasn't had a Scottish player since the turn of the millennium when Scott Booth departed Borussia Dortmund. But it is the success of Paul Lambert, who collected a Champions League winner's medal with Dortmund in 1997, that Burke will seek to emulate.

RB Leipzig won't be winning Champions League titles anytime soon, but the club funded by the Red Bull energy-drink company, aspire to be in the running before too much longer. The club also seem committed to their youth policy, meaning Burke couldn't have selected a better next step in his development.

Over the past decade, the Bundesliga has gained a reputation for blooding youth players, and Leipzig appear to be no exception. According to the website "transfermarkt.de," the average age of Leipzig's first-team squad is the youngest of any team in Europe's top five leagues (23.5 years) and RB Leipzig's trust in young players, along with their significant financial means, has taken them all the way to Germany's top flight just seven years after the club was formed. Now the club will be hoping that Oliver Burke will part of the reason that they stay there beyond their debut season in the Bundesliga.