Arsenal and Spurs Battle for World Cup Star Nusa
Arsenal and Tottenham are bracing for a head‑to‑head battle over Norway starlet Nusa, but the real opponent right now is RB Leipzig’s price tag.
The 21-year-old has just walked out of a World Cup with his reputation transformed. Six appearances, one landmark strike – Norway’s first goal in their last‑32 win over Ivory Coast – and a body of work that backed up an eye-catching Bundesliga season. He is no longer a quiet prospect. He is a €50m-level conversation.
Leipzig know it. That is why they are standing squarely behind a £51 million valuation, a figure that has not scared off Europe’s elite but has certainly forced them to think.
Arsenal weigh their options
Arsenal are interested, but not desperate. The London club are in no rush to slam down an official bid, choosing instead to read the room around Gabriel Martinelli.
The Brazilian is not on the market in any formal sense. Yet the equation is simple: if a bid north of £51 million lands from Europe or Asia, Arsenal’s stance could shift. That would open both a space in the squad and a financial runway for a move for Nusa.
The wide areas at the Emirates are already in motion. Leandro Trossard has departed for Besiktas, trimming Mikel Arteta’s options on the left. Christos Tzolis has arrived from Club Brugge to replenish the pool, but he is not the marquee wide forward Arsenal had at the top of their list.
That man was Morgan Rogers. Arsenal watched as Chelsea stepped in and closed a £117 million deal, ripping away a primary target and forcing a rethink. Nusa now sits in that cluster of names at the top of Arsenal’s attacking shortlist, but the club are determined not to be rushed into an auction.
Spurs interest grows amid injury issues
Across north London, Spurs are just as keen but boxed in by numbers. They like Nusa. They see the upside. Yet before they can move, they need to clear the decks.
The futures of returning loanees Manor Solomon and Mikey Moore must be settled. Until Tottenham decide whether those players are part of the immediate project or assets to cash in on, an official bid for Nusa remains on hold.
There is, however, a clear opening in Ange Postecoglou’s squad. Injuries have stripped Spurs of wide options on their pre-season tour of New Zealand and Australia, with Dejan Kulusevski, Mohammed Kudus, Xavi Simons and Wilson Odobert all sidelined. The gap on the flanks is obvious. So is the temptation.
For Tottenham, Nusa represents both cover and long-term investment. The challenge is synchronising outgoings, fitness concerns and Leipzig’s stubborn stance into one clean move.
Italy makes its move
While the Premier League giants posture and plan, Serie A has already stepped into the room.
AC Milan and AS Roma have opened direct talks with Nusa’s representatives, trying to steal a march on their English rivals. Both clubs see an opportunity: move quickly, convince the player, then try to drag Leipzig’s price down to something more palatable.
Milan are pushing hardest. According to the same report, they view Nusa as a priority target and are prepared to reshape their attack to get him. That could mean selling Rafael Leao to fund the deal, a seismic decision that would underline just how highly they rate the Norwegian winger.
Roma are taking a different angle. They are readying a £38 million offer, a figure that falls well short of Leipzig’s asking price but plants a flag in the ground. It is a test: how rigid are Leipzig, really, when the first serious bid lands?
One player, one price
Through all of this, one constant remains. Leipzig want £51 million. Not “around” that figure. Not “in the region of.” That number.
Nusa, for his part, is understood to be open to a new challenge after his breakout World Cup. The timing is right for a move, and he knows it. His stock is high, his confidence higher, and the interest is genuine from multiple top leagues.
The stage is set for negotiations to accelerate in the coming weeks. Arsenal need clarity on Martinelli. Spurs must resolve their squad logjam. Milan and Roma are already at the table, trying to prise open the door.
But until someone blinks in Leipzig’s direction and either meets that £51 million mark or forces them to reconsider, Nusa’s next step hangs in the balance. Who pays the premium for potential – and who walks away – will say plenty about where Europe’s power clubs believe the future of wide attacking talent really lies.
