Arsenal and Norway captain Martin Odegaard believes Chelsea target Antonio Nusa has a very bright future ahead of him.
The Blues failed with a €30m (£26m) bid to sign the teenager on deadline day at the start of this month, and he has been back in the headlines after scoring on his debut for Norway in a 6-0 win over Jordan on Thursday night. Asked for his thoughts on the player by TV 2, Odegaard replied:
“Fantastic! He is an incredibly exciting player. You see it, everything he gets the ball, it’s exciting. He is still young and will get even better. It was cool to see him. He deserved to get the chance that he takes it to such an extent. Incredibly cool!”
“He must continue as he has done. Work hard, be humble. He’s a nice boy. Very calm and nice type. It’s going to be just fine. He just has to enjoy the football and continue to deliver as he does. Then it will be good.”
Chelsea are likely to renew their interest in Nusa next year when the January transfer window opens, with the club set to send scouts to keep a watchful eye on his progress.
What do Chelsea fans need to know about Nusa?
The 18-year-old came through Stabaek’s youth academy, making his first-team debut for the Norwegian outfit in May 2021 during a 4-2 defeat to Rosenborg. He scored his first senior goal just a month afterwards in a heavy loss against Bodo/Glimt before getting a brace versus Viking a few days later.
Nusa’s performances quickly drew the attention of Club Brugge, who snapped him up only three months after he made his first appearance for Stabaek. Over the last couple of years, he has played 46 times for the Belgian Pro League side, making 16 starts.
