Antonio Nusa has been one of the most prolific prospects outside of Europe’s Top 5 in recent years, emerging as a shining light at Club Brugge.
The Norwegian has been linked with several big clubs since his breakthrough in Belgium. He almost joined Bournemouth and Spurs, but possible deals fell through at the last minute. Now, the winger has joined RB Leipzig, in a move that aims to not only continue his development, but also provide him with top-level football, as Leipzig look to win the Bundesliga crown against Xabi’s Bayer Leverkusen Alonso.
The 19-year-old has some of the best attributes to take him to the top and help Leipzig in their quest for silverware, and along with Nusa, they have some serious talent.
Deadly dribble
Arguably his best attribute right now is his dribbling efficiency and how he can simply create something out of nothing.
Last season, he was in the 99th percentile for progressive carries and successful touches, while also being in the 94th percentile for touches in the opponent’s penalty area compared to other wingers.
This highlights that his style of play is not so much that of a winger, but rather that of an inside forward similar to that of Mohamed Salah, in that they make direct runs towards the penalty area and use their ability on the ball to make dangerous and effective situations.
One thing Nusa does very well is being able to combine his speed with his dribbling, which makes him almost unpredictable when going up against him, as he has shown over the course of a few seasons now .
Firing capacity and integration into the Leipzig system
Last season, Nusa was able to show his true abilities as an interior attacker with a high number of shots. He has only managed to find the net three times in the Pro League during the 2023/24 campaign, but has recorded 38.2% of his shots on target, averaging 3.03 shots per 90.
Combining this with his speed and dribbling, Nusa poses a serious threat to a team that plays fast, counter-attacking football, and at Leipzig, that is the type of football he will be a part of.
Last season, Marco Rose alternated between two different formations, using a 4-2-2-2 and a 3-4-3 depending on the opponent and availability for team selection.
Nusa could be more useful in the 3-4-3 as he played as a winger during his time at Club Brugge, so it will be easier for him to transition to the Leipzig team.
However, in the 4-2-2-2, Nusa could have more offensive freedom in their team. He is unlikely to be one of the two at the top, with Openda and Sesko looking to lock down their positions, so slightly behind either would be best for him, if he is allowed to cross the line, in space.
It is questionable whether Nusa will play much this season for Die Roten Bullen, while he is still developing, but he has been a key part of the Club Brugge team for the past two years, winning two league titles and a cup , as well as collecting 7 international caps. So I see Nusa as a key part of Rose’s team this season.
Still in development
At 19 years old, there are still parts of his game that are not yet at the right level, but they should be strengthened over the next few years, with more experience and working with a great coaching team than Leipzig can offer.
His creative numbers aren’t great and are largely made up for by his dribbling rather than his passing ability. Last season he had an extremely low number of progressive passes per 90 and his success rate was low. This is something that will need to be worked on to fit into this Leipzig team, as he is expected to be as much of a creator as he is a standout striker.
His defensive numbers were also poor last season, as he failed to track and cover runs from opposing full-backs. This also included a very low number of interceptions and aerial shots won.
Finally, the main problem he faced was the increase in minor injuries he accumulated throughout last season, which resulted in him missing 16 club and country matches during the season. 2023/24.
Despite this, Nusa has shown so much quality in just a few seasons, and RB Leipzig is a near-perfect club to help him continue his development into a top player.
This is yet another exciting talent coming out of Norway. Erling Haaland and Martin Odegaard have already made a name for themselves. Nusa are in a similar situation with Oscar Bobb and Andreas Schjelderup, who have proven their worth but will look to go further this season.
Overall, Nusa is another great signing for Leipzig, as they continue to buy extremely talented youngsters from around the world who have the potential to help them in their quest to win the Bundesliga, and Nusa looks like one of these players who will be a definite advantage for the team.
By Daniel Moffat
