Arsenal are “serious” about signing Antonio Nusa, but RB Leipzig want €70m for the Norway winger and the Gunners are hoping to get a deal done for less than €55m.
That’s the latest from Italy, where Tuttomercatoweb report that the Premier League champions have made the 21-year-old a concrete target to bolster their forward options, as relayed by Sport Witness. Better still, there’s confidence at N5 that he can be brought to London.
It’s not hard to see why. Summer signing Christos Tzolis is the only natural left winger in Mikel Arteta’s squad, and he’s currently sidelined with a hamstring problem.
Why are Arsenal chasing Antonio Nusa now?
With Tzolis out, Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke have both been asked to fill in on the left in recent weeks. Neither is a specialist there, and the cupboard is getting barer by the day, with Bukayo Saka out with a quad injury and Max Dowman suspended after the FA rejected Arsenal’s appeal against his red card. That’s the backdrop to Arteta’s selection puzzle for Sunday’s trip to Anfield.
Gooners have been crying out for a left-sided attacker for a while, and even Nigel Winterburn admits the Gunners need one. Nusa appears to be the man the recruitment team have settled on.
Three goals and five assists in seven games
The timing of the interest makes sense, because Nusa is flying. He has three goals and five assists in seven Bundesliga games, and four goals and six assists in 12 matches across all competitions.
Compare that with last season, when he managed five goals and four assists in 35 games. He’s already well on course for his best goalscoring campaign yet, and that kind of form has the Premier League paying close attention.
Antonio Nusa transfer fee: how big is the gap?
Big enough to matter. Negotiations are only at an early stage, and while Arsenal have made enquiries in recent weeks, there’s a significant gap between what RB Leipzig are asking and what the Gunners are currently offering.
Leipzig paid Club Brugge €21m for Nusa two years ago, and Transfermarkt values him at €45m. The Bundesliga side want €70m all the same, and they don’t appear willing to offer any discount. Arsenal, for their part, intend to keep the fee below €55m.
That leaves roughly €15m to bridge. The pursuit is said to be gaining momentum, but whether Arsenal are ready to raise their bid remains to be seen.
The Odegaard factor
Arsenal might have an ace up their sleeve here. Martin Odegaard captains Nusa for Norway, and he could help persuade his international teammate to make the move, should he need any convincing.
Right now, though, the player doesn’t look like the problem. The real job is convincing Leipzig to sell at a price Arsenal are willing to pay.
Verdict: Antonio Nusa is worth pushing the boat out for
I’d be pushing hard for this one. The Fleetwood exit showed how thin the front line has become, and relying on one injured left winger plus two players filling in out of position isn’t how you defend a title.
€70m is steep for a player who cost €21m, but Nusa is 21, in the form of his life and already plays under Odegaard’s armband for his country. If Leipzig hold firm, meeting them somewhere in the middle would still feel like money well spent.
