EXCLUSIVE: Chelsea failed in January bid for Antonio Nusa

Robin Bairner

• 29 Jan 2024 09:15 GMT
• 3 min read

Exclusive

Chelsea wanted to sign Club Brugge winger Antonio Nusa this month but have missed out as Brentford appear to have secured a deal for the Norway international.

Nusa is regarded as one of the hottest young players around Europe, with the Bees set to complete a deal worth €30 million (£25.6m) to beat Tottenham to the 18-year-old winger.

But FootballTransfers understands that Chelsea were also interested in signing the teenager, who has won four caps for his country, this month.

The Blues were unable to make a decisive move for the player, though, because of the Financial Fair Play (FFP) implications that a deal would bring. Having spent more than €1 billion over the course of Todd Boehly’s 18 months at the club, the floodgates have finally been forced to close, with Chelsea unable to complete a single deal this January.

Chelsea have long been linked with Nusa. During the summer transfer window, they had a Deadline Day move worth €27m knocked back over the player.

They have continued to monitor the winger, who has been compared to Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, since and he remains on the club’s transfer shortlist.

Odegaard hails Nusa

Nusa has endured something of a stop-star season with Brugge because of back problems that have prevented him from playing in two separate spells and have seen him lose his status as a starter at the beginning of the season.

Nevertheless, when he has been on the field, data analytics experts SciSports rate him as one of the leading wingers in the Jupiler Pro League, while he has enjoyed a peak Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of close to €15m.

Arsenal star Martin Odegaard, an international teammate, has been left astonished by the player’s level when fully firing.

Speaking in September, he said: "Nusa 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.

“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.”

Nusa now appears likely to continue his career at Brentford, a club where Chelsea will surely continue to keep close tabs on him.