Premier League rivals Chelsea and Arsenal are set to lead the latest scouting procession in midweek surrounding Norwegian starlet Antonio Nusa as interest in the Club Brugge winger continues to heat up during the current 2023-24 season.
Per reports from Belgium-based news outlet Nieuwsblad Sport, members of the scouting team of multiple big clubs from around Europe are being sent to watch Nusa when Blauw-Zwart clashes with Beşiktaş in their Group D meeting in the Europa Conference League on Thursday night at Jan Breydel Stadium, with the Blues and Gunners among them.
According to NS, both clubs will be joined by scouts from Manchester United, Borussia Dortmund, PSV Eindhoven, and Olympique de Marseille, but it is Chelsea and Arsenal that are currently credited with the strongest interest in the Langhus-born forward, with Chelsea having a late £23m bid rebuffed.
The Premier League pair have been linked with a possible January return for Nusa according to Standard Sport, with quotes from Nusa painting the picture of calm surrounding the youngster regardless of the knowledge that he is in high demand.
“I already knew that it wasn’t going to happen, but then the money came on the table. Then it’s seen in a slightly different way. We had to have another conversation when the money arrived, but we were on the same page, so there was no problem there. I knew what to do anyway, so it was fine.”
“That’s a lot of money. A lot of money. But I try not to think about it so much. I can’t focus on that, you know. I don’t think it’s good for me. We are talking about very big clubs and that’s where you dream of being in the future. I try not to think about money at all. There’s a lot of money in football, so that’s not what’s on my mind. It’s where I can develop best and become as good as possible.”
The 18-year-old Norwegian international has leaped up the wanted list across Europe after his continued progression in Belgium has been accentuated by recent star performances under Ståle Solbakken in Norway’s pair of wins in Euro 2024 qualifying during the recent international break.
Not only did Nusa bag a goal on his full international debut in Norway’s 6-0 drubbing of Jordan (in which he also registered an assist), but he followed up that performance with a brace of assists against Georgia, and a potential budding relationship with Arsenal captain Martin Ødegaard during international service could offer a pathway for Arsenal to steal a march on Chelsea in the bidding war that is sure to kick off in earnest.
