Antonio Nusa has been one the of most prolific prospects outside of Europe’s Top 5 leagues over the past few years, standing out as a shining light at Club Brugge.
The Norwegian has been linked with several big clubs since his breakthrough in Belgium. He has come close to joining Bournemouth and Spurs, but possible deals have collapsed at the last minute. Now, the winger has joined RB Leipzig, in a move which looks to not only continue his development but also offer him football at the top level, as Leipzig looks to take the Bundesliga crown off Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen.
The 19-year-old has some of the best attributes to take him to the top and help Leipzig in their pursuit of Silverware, and with Nusa, they have a serious talent.
Deadly Dribbling
Arguably his best attribute currently is how effective his dribbling is, and how he can simply create something out of nothing.
Last season he was in the 99th percentile for progressive carries and successful take-ons, while also being in the 94th percentile for touches in the opposition’s penalty area compared to other wingers.
This highlights that his playing style isn’t so much as a winger, but rather an inside forward similar to how Mohamed Salah plays, in the sense 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 really well is being able to combine his speed with his dribbling, making him almost unpredictable when coming up against him, as he has shown this over a couple of seasons now.
Shooting Ability and Fitting into Leipzig’s System
Last season, Nusa was able to show his true ability as an inside forward with a high volume of shots. He was only able to find the net three times in the Pro League in the 2023/24 campaign, but registered 38.2% of his shots on target, while also averaging 3.03 shots per 90.
Combining this with his speed and dribbling, Nusa is a serious threat for a team that plays fast-paced, counter-attacking football, and at Leipzig, that’s the type of football he will be a part of.
Last season, Marco Rose switched between two different formations, using a 4-2-2-2 and a 3-4-3 depending on the opponent and who was available for squad selection.
Nusa might be of better use in the 3-4-3 as he has prominently played as a winger during his time at Club Brugge, therefore it will be easier for him to transition into the Leipzig team.
However, in the 4-2-2-2, Nusa might be allowed to have more attacking freedom in the side. It’s unlikely he will be part of the two up top, with Openda and Sesko looking to lock their positions down, so slightly behind either of them would be the best for him, if he is allowed to roam across the line, into the space.
There might be questions over whether Nusa will feature a lot this season for Die Roten Bullen, with him still developing, but he has been a key part of the Club Brugge team for two years, winning two league titles and one cup, as well as collecting 7 international caps. So I see Nusa being a key part of Rose’s side this season.
Still Developing
At 19, there are still parts of his game which aren’t at the correct level yet, but they are expected to be increased over the next few years, with more experience and working with a great coaching team, which Leipzig can offer.
His creative numbers aren’t great and are largely made up by his dribbling rather than his passing ability. Last season, he had an extremely low number of progressive passes per 90, and his pass completion rate was low. This is something that will have to be worked on to fit in this Leipzig team, as he is expected to be just as much as a creator as an out-an-out attacking outlet.
His defensive numbers were also low last season, as he failed to track and cover the runs of the opposition fullbacks. This also included a very low number of interceptions and aerials won.
Finally, the main issue he has faced has been an increase in small injuries he accumulated throughout last season, which meant he missed 16 games for club and country in the 2023/24 season.
Despite this, Nusa has shown so much quality over just a handful of seasons, and RB Leipzig is a near-perfect club to help continue his development to become a top player.
He’s yet another exciting talent coming from Norway. Erling Haaland and Martin Odegaard have already made a name for themselves. Nusa is in a similar situation with the likes of Oscar Bobb and Andreas Schjelderup, who have proved their worth but will be looking to take it a step 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 aid their quest to win the Bundesliga, and Nusa looks like one of those players who will be a definite benefit to the team.
By Daniel Moffat
Final Whistle 
wow!! 5Antonio Nusa – The New Man In Leipzig
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