Struggling Premier League giants Chelsea will no doubt have been bolstered in their desire to secure yet another top young talent in Europe after Norwegian starlet Antonio Nusa once again starred for Ståle Solbakken’s Løvene in their 2-1 win over Georgia tonight in Oslo.
Nusa’s brace of assists in the first half at Ullevaal Stadion versus Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and company followed up a his goal and assist against Jordan just days ago during his full international debut for Norway, offering proof as to why the Blues are so keen on the 18-year-old Club Brugge winger.
Nusa, who is currently valued at around €30m and the subject of a late bid from the Blues during the summer window, is already popping up on radar screens across the continent in the midst of a breakout 12 months in Belgium.
Along with interest from Chelsea, Nusa is now in the crosshairs of Real Madrid, Manchester United, Liverpool, and Newcastle United are all reportedly keen on the Langhus-born forward and Stabæk Fotball academy graduate.
Sublime on the ball while possessing explosiveness off the mark wrapped in a dual-threat package as both a creative outlet and a goalscoring threat in equal measure, Nusa was once compared to Neymar during his time at Stabæk by former club-mate Mats Solheim, stating “I can see similarities to Neymar in Nusa’s movements and in the way he uses the ball. There is still a small gap between them, but he can get there.”
Former coach Eirik Kjono was quoted as saying “Antonio is going to develop into a fantastic player. It is rare to see such a good dribbler in Norway. His speed, balance, and technique are something else. It will be exciting to follow his career,” with these attributes fully on display across his two senior appearances during the current international break.
Gunner Halle, a former Norwegian international between 1987-99, as well as the current assistant at second division outfit Strømmen IF, was full of praise for the budding winger last season as well, commenting “Antonio has some extreme skills with the ball that make him very exciting. He can challenge, get past opponents, and create imbalance, but what really sets him apart from others at that age is that he has finishing qualities as well.”
With interest in Nusa heating up, Chelsea has their work cut out for them if they are to compete with the likes of Real Madrid for a player that could ultimately reach the same level of influence as Erling Haaland and Martin Ødegaard.
