Leeds United, Antonio Nusa and the Price of Potential

If it wasn’t already abundantly clear to my loyal readers by now, I’m ridiculously excited about the potential of this summer. Honestly, I haven’t felt anticipation like this since Christmas morning in 2000, when a 9-year-old version of myself spent the entire night desperately hoping Santa Claus had brought me a PlayStation 2.

Such was my desperation that I was crouched by the living room door at an ungodly hour on Christmas morning, trying to peer through the keyhole for an early glimpse of my fate. And do you know what I saw? A key. Oh, Santa Claus…you crafty bastard.

But here we are once again, staring down another pivotal summer in Leeds United’s history. The club now sits at a genuine crossroads: push aggressively within the confines of SCR towards becoming an established mid-table Premier League side, or repeat the mistakes of the past by convincing ourselves that “good lads” and familiar faces are enough to carry us forward. Don’t get me wrong, I’m hugely appreciative of what both Dan James and Junior Firpo gave the club during those two Championship campaigns under Daniel Farke. Both played massive roles in getting Leeds United back to where the club belongs. But it’s also fair to acknowledge that neither represented the level of upgrade truly required during that summer under Bielsa in 2021. Sentiment, familiarity, and affordability ultimately replaced genuine squad evolution. Leeds simply cannot afford to make the same mistake twice.

And truthfully, I don’t expect the 49ers to simply sit back and allow this squad to drift towards stagnation. Significant squad churn feels inevitable this summer, particularly as Leeds attempt to evolve from a side focused primarily on survival into one capable of genuinely competing in the Premier League long-term.

“The Norwegian Neymar”: Antonio Nusa

For me, Antonio Nusa is the most exciting winger I’ve looked at so far. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been following his career, and since I’m openly discussing both realistic and unrealistic targets for Leeds United this summer, why not look at one who sits right at the top of my list. 

Now, before I get carried away, it’s worth caveating this by saying Nusa sits firmly in the “unrealistic” category. So why write about him? There’s always that little piece of me that hopes our alliance with Red Bull can contribute something other than a front of shirt sponsor, and the threat of a future full takeover. And there’s just something about dreaming of that signing who gives you butterflies. I guess I’m just trying to cling on to that shred of hope.

Nusa is a player that has been spoken about for the last three to four years, but he is by no means the finished product. And at 21-years old, he shouldn’t be. There are supporters who rate him highly who often describe him as raw, inconsistent, and still short of being a guaranteed top-level starter. And there are other concerns as well: the injuries; the failed Brentford move; the dodgy stats at Leipzig; the difference between his Norway performances and his club performances. When you start to dig into the player, it does raise questions. 

That might sound dramatic. But then you watch Nusa at his best, and it’s very easy to get carried away. The close control is ridiculous. His acceleration is rapid. The dribbling is there. The balance is there. That quality of making the whole stadium stand up once he touches the ball is there. And his goal against Ivory Coast in the World Cup demonstrates that he could one day be an elite winger.

RB Leipzig signed him from Club Brugge in 2024 for around €21m, with Transfermarkt describing him as a Dani Olmo replacement profile after a deal to Brentford had collapsed earlier that year. Leipzig gave him a contract until 2029, and he made an immediate impression with a cup goal, a Bundesliga winner against Bochum and an assist against Bayer Leverkusen in his first weeks at the club.  

The difficulty is that the last two seasons have not completely settled the argument as to whether or not he’s a top-level footballer. According to FotMob:

2025/26 Bundesliga – RB Leipzig

• 4 goals (76th overall)
• 3 assists (66th overall)
• 2,035 minutes
• 7.16 FotMob rating (54th overall)
• 33 chances created (45th overall)
• 9 big changes created (32nd overall)
• 3.00 successful dribbles per 90 (3rd overall)

2024/25 Bundesliga – RB Leipzig

• 3 goals (77th overall)
• 3 assists (74th overall)
• 1,557 minutes
• 6.86 FotMob rating (141st overall)
• 20 chances created (107th overall)
• 6 big changes created (65th overall)
• 2.30 successful dribbles per 90 (12th overall)

Obviously the stats aren’t spectacular. It’s definitely not the sort of output that makes you think he’s worth the apparent £43 million Leipzig are looking for. But it’s worth remembering that Nusa is still only 21 years old. He’s actually five months younger than Gnonto and only a year older than Archie Gray. It just doesn’t feel like it because we’ve been hearing his name for years. So context and patience is important here. He’s still very much developing as a footballer. There’s no denying his obvious talent. It’s just whether Leeds can afford to gamble serious money on a player whose ceiling is enormous, but whose injury record and end product still make you pause.

PLAYER PROFILE

Nusa is a 21-year-old Norwegian international, who at 6 foot, just about qualifies for Big Bastards FC.

One of the interesting debates around him has been whether he is at his best from the left, the right, or in a more flexible attacking role. Norway manager Ståle Solbakken has been pretty clear on this. After Nusa’s excellent performance for Norway against Italy, German reporting picked up Solbakken’s criticism that Leipzig had not quite “discovered” him in the Bundesliga yet, arguing that he is best when playing in the position he should be playing — from the left.  

If you are buying Nusa, you are not buying a generic winger or wide forward who gets shoehorned into multiple positions across the frontline until something works. You are buying a left winger who wants to run at defenders, cut inside, and have a shot. Sound familiar? 

CAREER CONTEXT

Nusa’s career has been strange because he became famous before he became fully reliable. And I think that’s partly down to the Brentford situation. Personally, that’s the first time I became aware of the player. 

The story is this: in January 2024, Brentford were close to completing a deal for Nusa, with reports around the time suggesting a package worth roughly €30 + €4m in bonuses, as well as a resale clause. The move stalled after medical checks raised concerns around his knee, with Belgian reporting referring to floating cartilage. Brugge and Norwegian sources played down the seriousness of the issue, but Brentford clearly had enough concern to step away.  All of a sudden Nusa became “one of Europe’s best young wingers” with huge red flags surrounding his knees. Alarm bells were set off across the continent.

That didn’t stop Leipzig who eventually moved in 2024 and got him for much less than the Brentford package had been expected to cost. Bild reported Leipzig paid around €22.5m, after the failed Brentford transfer had reduced some of the noise around him. Leipzig’s own medical department were clearly comfortable enough to proceed, and German reporting later noted that Norwegian doctors had found only minor, non-permanent knee issues.  

Any club willing to invest a big fee in Nusa over the coming years will no doubt want to carry out their own detailed medical checks before committing. 

MATCH EVIDENCE

Stats don’t always tell the full story in football. And I think that the best way to understand Nusa is to look at individual games rather than just season totals. Nusa is one of the standout players in Norway’s team. That’s a difficult task with the likes of Haaland, Ødegaard, and Sørloth alongside him, but he doesn’t shy away from his responsibility to the team. 

Against Italy in June 2025, Nusa was one of Norway’s outstanding players in a 3-0 win. German reporting noted that he assisted Alexander Sørloth’s opener and then scored himself, while also pointing out that he had been directly involved in 12 goals across 14 Norway appearances at that point. Add to that his Man of the Match performance against Ivory Coast in first knockout stage of the World Cup and you can see a player that is steadily getting better with age. 

It’s worth saying I haven’t picked out any Leipzig performances here. At Leipzig, he has sometimes looked like a young player still trying to fully establish himself within the structure. Whereas for Norway, he looks more confident, and relishes the opportunity. The challenge for any club looking to sign Nusa will be to get him replicate his international form at club level.

ATHLETICISM

The first thing to say is that Nusa is rapid, and is an elite dribbler. The above graph only strengthens the argument that this is a player who would terrorise Premier League full-backs.  Defenders hate people with pace running at them. And in this scenario, Nusa is the stuff of nightmares because his game is built around taking people on. He attempts more dribbles than almost any winger in the Bundesliga, and more importantly, he completes them. Give him space to run into and his first instinct is to attack his full-back rather than play the safe pass.

But I do not think his game is simply about speed. The way he uses this ability is what catches the eye. He slows defenders down, then explodes. He pauses, shifts the ball, then goes again. He looks like he is inviting contact before sliding away from it. The fact that he can go on either the outside or the inside also makes him incredibly dangerous. But incredibly exciting depending on where you’re sat in the West Stand. 

But this is also where the frustration comes in because if Nusa was producing elite numbers after beating his man, we probably wouldn’t be talking about a £30-40 million player. We’d be talking about someone worth twice that.

Too many attacks still end with the wrong decision. The cross doesn’t beat the first man. The final pass arrives half a second too late. The shot is dragged wide. You come away thinking, “How the fuck has he missed that?” That’s been the story of his career so far.

When I was reading through comments from Club Brugge supporters, it was strange how similar they were. Nobody really questioned his ability to beat players or the fact he has talent. The debate was always about what happened after he’d done the difficult bit.

And I’m not convinced that’s changed all that much. The ability is obvious. The dribbling is obvious. The ball carrying is obvious. Now it’s about turning those moments into goals, assists and match-winning performances often enough that nobody talks about his potential anymore.

GOAL THREAT

The goal threat and creativity is there, but still developing. That’s the key. Nusa is young. He doesn’t lack confidence. He doesn’t hide. He gets shots off. But the finishing is not yet at the level where you can say he would solve any goal problems from wide areas. At Leeds, he would be signing to raise the ceiling of the attack and to challenge/complement Noah Okafor. Not to guarantee double-digit goals immediately.

INJURY RECORD

This is probably the biggest warning light.

Transfermarkt lists the following recent injury history:

• 2022/23: muscle injury, 29 days, 4 games missed
• 2023/24: back injury, 17 days, 5 games missed
• 2023/24: back injury, 21 days, 5 games missed
• 2023/24: rest, 9 days, 2 games missed
• 2023/24: hamstring injury, 16 days, 4 games missed
• 2024/25: knee injury, 71 days, 13 games missed
• 2025/26: elbow fracture, 10 days, 1 game missed
• 2025/26: ankle injury, 36 days, 2 games missed

Across those listed seasons, Transfermarkt totals 209 days missed and 36 games missed.  That is not a tiny issue. Now, it doesn’t mean he is broken, but it absolutely means Leeds would need to take the medical seriously.

The Brentford situation makes that unavoidable. As discussed earlier, in 2024, the move to Brentford stalled after medical checks raised concerns around his knee, with reports discussing floating cartilage. Norwegian sources and later reporting suggested the issue was not expected to be a serious long-term problem, and Leipzig’s own medical department were obviously comfortable enough to sign him. But the knee history did not disappear completely. Transfermarkt later lists a 71-day knee injury at Leipzig in 2024/25.  That is the bit that makes me pause, and think “hmmmmm”. 

FAN OPINION

Fan opinion on Nusa is exactly what you would expect. Excited, but divided.

When Leipzig signed him, r/soccer reaction included comments calling him a huge talent and “best potential winger in Norwegian history”, but also others saying the hype was not fully warranted yet, that he was overrated, that he had stagnated slightly, and that he was inconsistent. One comment summed it up neatly: “fantastic dribbling technique” but still “very inconsistent”.  

Norwegian fans are much more enthusiastic. One Arsenal fan discussion included a Norwegian supporter calling him “the real deal”, technically gifted, quick, intelligent, humble, and one of the most exciting Norway attackers in years. Another said he had arguably been Norway’s best attacking player through much of 2024.  The difference between club opinion and national-team opinion is fascinating because club fans often see inconsistency. Whereas Norway fans see magic. That tells you the player is there. The question is why he’s so inconsistent at club level, and whether he improves with age.

TRANSFER CONTEXT

This wouldn’t be an easy deal to do. Nusa is under contract at Leipzig until 2029. Transfermarkt lists his market value at €32m, while FotMob has shown a transfer value around €36m. That said, Leipzig are not impossible to deal with, especially since there is a connection between both clubs. The problem is that Leipzig like to get lots of money for their players.  

There is also the problem of competition. If Leeds are interested in the player, they’ll not be alone. Barcelona have reportedly scouted Nusa, sending scouts to watch Norway’s match against Italy, where he impressed in the 4-1 victory. Bild also reported that before Leipzig completed the deal, Bayer Leverkusen, Dortmund, Inter and Brighton had all shown interest. And Newcastle have been linked recently as they seek an Anthony Gordon replacement. 

And finally, there is the huge Diomande shadow that will be cast over Leipzig this summer. Should one of their star wingers depart this summer (as is likely with PSG leading the hunt), I’m not sure if Leipzig will have the appetite to sell another jewel in the crown. 

FINANCIAL CONTEXT

This is where the dream starts rubbing up against reality. Leipzig paid roughly €21m-€22.5m for Nusa. His contract runs to 2029.  

That means unless Leipzig do us a favour, we’re not getting him on the cheap. The figure being talked about is a “reduced £43 million”, and that might just be too expensive for Leeds’ taste this summer. Who knows what might happen after that friendly in August, right? 

STRENGTHS

• Elite dribbling
• Pace
• Comfortable on either flank
• Dangerous on the counter
• Excellent close control
• Strong ball carrying
• High ceiling
• International experience
• Still only 21

WEAKNESSES

• Injury history
• Inconsistent
• Defensive contribution
• Decision-making in final third
• Can disappear for periods
• Expensive for current output
• Has not yet produced an elite club season

CURRENT LEVEL

Nusa is a talented Bundesliga winger who is already useful. With Diomande on the opposite flank, it gives opposition defenders an extra headache. But he’s inconsistent and definitely not the finished product.

CEILING

His ceiling is genuinely very high. If he stays fit improves in the final third, Nusa could become one of the most exciting wingers in Europe.

FLOOR

The floor is less comfortable. He could become a brilliant dribbler whose injuries, inconsistency and end product stop him becoming more than a YouTube highlights player.

MY VERDICT

This is one of those signings where I completely understand both sides.

If Leeds announced Antonio Nusa tomorrow I’d personally be absolutely buzzing. He’s exactly the type of player supporters dream about.

• Young.
• Exciting.
• Technically gifted.
• Capable of moments that get people out of their seats.

But if the fee was £40m and somebody told me twelve months later he’d managed 2 goals, 3 assists and missed ten games through injury? I wouldn’t be remotely shocked either.

Is he a risk? Which footballer isn’t? It’s not my money, but I think it could pay off. His talent is obvious. His ceiling is enormous. His resale value would make any football owner dance with delight. Now we just need a certain Norwegian striker to put in a good word.