Who is Antonio Nusa? Chelsea plot £26m transfer for 'next Haaland'

Antonio Nusa is latest young star everybody is talking about and Chelsea want to bring him to Stamford Bridge

Antonio Nusa emerged as a target for Chelsea late into the summer transfer window, but a move failed to materialise. The 18-year-old striker has been heavily linked with numerous top clubs across Europe as he begins to make a name for himself at Club Brugge in Belgium.

He's already managed to rack up plenty of minutes in Belgium and make his debut for Norway. So, with Todd Boehly eager to harbour the world's most exciting young players at Stamford Bridge, Nusa has been identified as somebody who can rival Nicolas Jackson and Armando Broja in the starting lineup one day.

So, with that being said, football.london have taken a look at Nusa and why Chelsea are so eager to secure his signature...

What's so special about Nusa?

The teenager's impressive performances also earned him a call-up to the Norway senior squad, scoring and providing an assist on his debut in a 6-0 win over Jordan.

How much will he cost?

According to Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea offered Club Brugge around €30million (£25.7m) for Nusa. But, following his impressive debut for Norway, his price could quickly soar in the coming months.

What has been said?

Earlier this week, Nusa confirmed to TV2 that Chelsea tried sign him on August 30, during a Europa Conference League clash against Osasuna. As quoted by Sport Witness, he said: "I didn’t know about it. I saw there was a lot of stuff on my phone. My phone exploded after the game. Then I wondered what happened. Then I realised.

"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."

"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."

Who is he similar to?

Nusa has previously named Neymar as his role model. Speaking to Aftonposten in April 2021, as quoted by Goal, he said: "I like to create chaos. Neymar is my role model because he creates chaos on the pitch with his dribbling, just like me. He is one of the best in the world."

The teenager's former Stabaek teammate, Mats Solheim, has also previously compared between the two. He said: "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."