Arsenal Targets Antonio Nusa to Strengthen Left Wing
Arsenal’s title defence has barely begun on the pitch, but in the market Mikel Arteta is already playing on the front foot.
Leandro Trossard’s departure to Besiktas has ripped a chunk of experience and guile from the left side of Arsenal’s attack. It has also stripped away Arteta’s margin for error. Gabriel Martinelli now stands as the only established, natural left winger in the squad. For a team with Premier League and Champions League ambitions, that is nowhere near enough.
So Arsenal are moving – aggressively.
Arsenal step into the Nusa race
The latest target is Antonio Nusa, the RB Leipzig winger whose stock has surged since the 2026 World Cup. Reports in Europe say the Premier League champions are lining up an opening bid of around €40 million (£34 million) for the Norway international, a figure that underlines both their intent and the market’s reality.
Nusa’s performances at the tournament did not go unnoticed. He helped drive Norway to the quarter-finals, and one moment in particular cut through the noise: a brilliant solo goal against Ivory Coast that showcased exactly why Europe’s elite are circling. Pace, balance, nerve. He took defenders on and tore through them.
Leipzig, predictably, are in no mood to sell cheap. The Bundesliga club are understood to value the 21-year-old closer to €60 million (£52 million). That gap between what Arsenal want to pay and what Leipzig expect will define the next phase of this pursuit.
Liverpool are already in the frame. They see Nusa as a more attainable option than Yan Diomande after their move for the Leipzig man collapsed. Now Arsenal are prepared to stand in the same queue, shoulder to shoulder with a direct rival, and test Leipzig’s resolve.
This is not a quiet enquiry. It is a statement of intent.
Why Nusa fits Arteta’s vision
Arteta wants more than just numbers on the depth chart. He wants a different threat.
Nusa offers exactly that. His game is built on explosive acceleration, fearless dribbling and a willingness to isolate and attack full-backs one-on-one. He plays on the front foot, the kind of winger who forces defenders to backpedal and opens up passing lanes for the players inside him.
For an Arsenal side that often faces deep, compact blocks, that profile matters. Too many of their attacks last season relied on intricate combinations and positional rotations. Nusa brings chaos. At 21, he also brings time: time to refine his decision-making, time to adapt to the Premier League, time to grow into a major weapon.
But Arteta’s plan on the left does not end there.
Nusa and Rogers? Arsenal think bigger
Inside the club, the pursuit of Nusa is not viewed as a replacement for their interest in Morgan Rogers. It is a complement.
Rogers, outstanding for Aston Villa, offers something different again: proven Premier League experience and tactical versatility. He can start from the left, drift into pockets centrally, or operate behind the striker. He understands the tempo of the division, the physical demands, the relentlessness of a 38-game title race.
In a perfect scenario for Arsenal, both deals get done. Rogers would walk into the squad as an immediate contender for the starting XI, a player capable of lifting the level of the first team from day one. Nusa, meanwhile, would arrive as high-upside competition for Martinelli, pushing the Brazilian while developing into one of Europe’s most dangerous wide forwards.
That is the kind of depth title-winning squads carry. Not just cover, but genuine alternatives.
Depth or drift
Arteta knows what is coming this season. A Premier League defence. A deep Champions League run as the expectation, not the dream. Domestic cups that no longer feel optional. The calendar will be brutal.
With only Martinelli as a natural left winger, Arsenal are one injury or loss of form away from reshaping their entire attacking structure. That is a risk a champion cannot afford.
Secure Nusa, land Rogers, and the left side transforms from a concern into a strength. Fail to do so, and Arsenal’s crown will rest on far shakier ground than their manager would like.
