By OkayGoal
Arsenal are set to step up their pursuit of RB Leipzig winger Antonio Nusa after Bukayo Saka limped off against Bayern Munich, with The Sun reporting that the Gunners are now leading the race for the 21-year-old.
Saka lasted just 10 minutes of Arsenal’s 2-2 Champions League draw with Bayern before a quad problem forced him off, and Mikel Arteta admitted afterwards that the injury “doesn’t look good at all”.
That would be a worry at the best of times. Coming straight after summer signing Christos Tzolis was sent home from international duty with a hamstring injury, it leaves Arsenal short on both flanks and pushes a January move firmly up the agenda.
Arsenal step up Antonio Nusa pursuit after Saka blow
According to The Sun, Arsenal had already been weighing up a move for Nusa after Tzolis hobbled off during Greece’s Nations League match against the Netherlands. Tzolis had been expected to provide cover on the left, and losing Saka on the opposite side has only added urgency to that thinking.
This isn’t a new name for Arsenal either. SunSport previously reported that the Gunners looked to sign the Norway international in the summer and were prepared to offer around £34m, only for Leipzig to refuse to sell.
How much would Antonio Nusa cost Arsenal?
A lot more than it would have done in the summer. Since turning down that summer approach, Leipzig have set a price tag of up to £55m, well above the player’s estimated market value of around £38m.
Leipzig’s £55m Antonio Nusa price tag
Nusa joined RB Leipzig in 2024 and has since become a regular feature in their attack. He’s tied to a five-year deal worth £36,500 per week that runs until 2029, so Leipzig are under no pressure at all to sell, and they have no intention of letting him leave cheaply.
Nothing can happen until the window opens on 1 January, when clubs will finally be able to put formal bids on the table.
Who else wants Antonio Nusa?
Arsenal may be in front, but they’re far from alone. Tottenham are monitoring the situation, while German outlet fussball-news reports that Newcastle and Aston Villa have also shown interest.
Further afield, Roma have made initial enquiries, and Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid are believed to be keeping close tabs. That’s three Premier League rivals and some of Europe’s biggest clubs circling the same 21-year-old, which hardly helps any attempt to talk Leipzig down from £55m.
Author Opinion
The £34m Leipzig turned down in the summer suddenly looks like the deal that got away. Arsenal have been searching for wide reinforcements since the summer, from a Martinelli replacement on the left flank to entering the race for PSG’s Ibrahim Mbaye, and this injury crisis only sharpens that need.
Paying up to £55m for a player valued at around £38m is a steep premium, and Berta & Co won’t want to be dragged into an auction with Spurs, Newcastle and Villa. But if Saka’s injury is as bad as Arteta fears, Nusa stops being a nice-to-have and becomes a January priority. The real question is whether Arsenal are willing to meet Leipzig’s price before somebody else does.