Premier League giants Arsenal and Manchester United are locked in battle for the signature of highly-rated Norwegian midfielder Sverre Nypan, who has emerged as the next big thing with his performances for Rosenborg. This is as per reports from TBR Football, which add that Nypan is seen as a player for the future by both clubs, who wish to bring him onboard as soon as possible.
The 18-year-old has emerged as one of the most exciting talents in European football and has already hit the ground running with Rosenborg. In 73 appearances across age levels, Nypan has bagged 15 goals and provided 11 assists this season. With age heavily on his side, his stock is only expected to grow considering the trajectory he is starting to show.
TBR Football correspondent Graeme Bailey has revealed Arsenal are now leading the race to sign Sverre Nypan, overtaking Manchester United as the player’s preferred destination. The Red Devils have shown interest since January but it seems they will now have to be content with sitting in the back seat.
Borussia Dortmund, Benfica and Ajax – three of Europe’s top youth-development-centric clubs – are also interested in Nypan, who is reportedly valued at around £10 million.
Now it looks like he is on his way to Arsenal with the player choosing a move to N5 despite the fact that there was stiff competition from Manchester City late on but the player was given guarantees of first team football this season by Mikel Arteta. Deal likely to be formally announced next week. Fee expected to be in the region of €18m including add-ons.
How would Sverre Nypan develop at Arsenal?
Arsenal have historically been a club that acquires, develops and nurtures young players to one day become first-team stars that uphold the identity of the club. However, the last couple of seasons have seen them rise to the top to compete for silverware, leaving less leg room to experiment with young players, unless they show signs of being the finished product from the get-go.
As a result, Mikel Arteta has found very few opportunities to promote youngsters from their famed Hale End academy, with a handful like Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly coming through only because of their quality.
This could be a stumbling block for Nypan, who for his position, needs to be playing week-in, week-out. Should this not be possible for him at the Emirates Stadium, the player and his camp could turn to options like Ajax and Benfica, where he would get plenty playing time with minimum downside.
