Arsenal and Spurs Target Nusa Amid Leipzig's £51 Million Standoff

Arsenal and Tottenham are braced for a straight fight over Norway’s rising star Nusa, but there is a problem neither London club can dribble past right now: RB Leipzig’s £51 million price tag.

The 21-year-old has just turned a promising Bundesliga season into a full-blown European audition. Six World Cup appearances, one landmark strike – Norway’s opener in their last-32 win over Ivory Coast – and a string of fearless performances have pushed him from “one to watch” into “one you have to get”.

Clubs across the continent have noticed. Leipzig, for the moment, are unmoved.

Arsenal weigh their hand – and Martinelli’s future

Arsenal’s interest is real, but not reckless. The club are keeping their powder dry before lodging a formal bid, with Gabriel Martinelli’s situation central to their next move.

They are not actively shopping the Brazilian. Yet a bid north of £51 million from Europe or Asia would force a conversation in the boardroom and could reshape their attacking plans. Until that possibility is clearer, Nusa remains a live target rather than an imminent arrival.

The wider picture at the Emirates tells its own story. Leandro Trossard has already departed for Besiktas, trimming experience from Mikel Arteta’s wide options. Christos Tzolis has come in from Club Brugge, a smart addition but not the marquee winger Arsenal originally chased.

That man was Morgan Rogers. Arsenal’s pursuit never reached the finish line; Chelsea blew everyone away with a £117 million deal. Missing out on Rogers only sharpens the focus on Nusa. The Gunners want a dynamic wide forward. The market is shrinking. The fee is not.

Spurs tempted, but first they must clear the decks

Across north London, Spurs are just as keen. Ange Postecoglou wants another winger, and Nusa fits the template: direct, brave, with the legs to stretch a high line.

The catch is numbers. Tottenham must trim their squad before they can act. The futures of returning loanees Manor Solomon and Mikey Moore hang in the balance and will heavily influence how hard Spurs push for Nusa.

There is also a more immediate issue. Dejan Kulusevski, Mohammed Kudus, Xavi Simons and Wilson Odobert have all been ruled out of the club’s pre-season tour of New Zealand and Australia through injury. On paper, that opens a lane for another wide player. In reality, Financial Fair Play and squad limits still apply.

So Spurs wait, work on exits, and hope the market does not move without them.

Milan and Roma move early in the shadows

England is not Nusa’s only possible destination. Far from it.

AC Milan and AS Roma have already opened direct talks with the winger’s representatives, looking to steal a march while the Premier League giants hesitate. The message from Italy is clear: they do not intend to sit back and watch a bidding war unfold in London.

Milan, according to the same report, see Nusa as a priority target. Their plan is bold. They are prepared to fund a move by selling Rafael Leao, a decision that would reshape their entire attack. Nusa, in that scenario, would not be a luxury signing. He would be the project.

Roma’s stance is slightly different but no less serious. They are ready to test Leipzig’s resolve with an offer in the region of £38 million. It falls short of the German club’s valuation, yet it plants a flag. Roma want to be at the table if Leipzig blink.

The player is ready. The price is not.

For Nusa himself, the timing feels perfect. A strong World Cup, a breakout domestic season, and interest from four major leagues have opened doors that do not stay open forever. He is understood to be open to a new challenge, and that alone will encourage suitors to push harder over the coming weeks.

Every conversation, though, comes back to the same number: £51 million.

Leipzig are standing firm. Arsenal are calculating. Spurs are clearing space. Milan and Roma are probing from a lower starting point, hoping the German club eventually softens.

Someone will have to move first – either a club breaking the £51 million barrier, or Leipzig accepting that their valuation needs to bend. Until then, Nusa remains exactly where he has been all summer: at the centre of a chase that promises plenty, but has yet to land anywhere.