Liverpool transfer 'option' Antonio Nusa, who is playing for Norway at this summer's World Cup, nearly joined a Premier League side before a failed medical put a stop to the move
22:07, 04 Jul 2026
RB Leipzig teammates Antonio Nusa and Yan Diomande during Norway vs Ivory Coast at the World Cup.
RB Leipzig teammates Antonio Nusa and Yan Diomande during Norway vs Ivory Coast at the World Cup.(Image: Waleed Ibrahim/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
With a clear need to sign more wingers this summer — and with the World Cup offering a stage for players to impress — Antonio Nusa is the latest name to be linked with a transfer move to Liverpool.
Impressing for Norway at the World Cup, the RB Leipzig man, it was reported earlier this weekend, is available for a fee of around $57 million (£43 million), with the Bundesliga side still insisting that it wants to keep Yan Diomande for another 12 months, but in need of a major sale to balance the books.
Potentially going for less than half the sum that Diomande will cost if he can be prised away, Nusa has clear quality. But there is a drawback: he has already failed a medical at Brentford.
After interest from Chelsea and Tottenham, Brentford agreed a deal worth around $42 million (£31 million) to sign Nusa when he was at Club Brugge in January 2024.
After medical examinations exposed an issue, however, Brentford didn't pursue the deal. He instead joined Leipzig, and later insisted that there was nothing to worry about.
"So they got a little worried," Nusa said. "That’s OK. We were worried of course. Something wasn’t right. It was important to get to the bottom of it. We’ve done that now.
Antonio Nusa (RB Leipzig) looks on during the 1. Bundesliga match between RB Leipzig and Mainz 04 at Red Bull Arena, Leipzig, Germany on January 31, 2026. (Photo by Ulrik Pedersen/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Antonio Nusa is courting interest from several clubs(Image: NurPhoto, NurPhoto via Getty Images)
"It’s about health. As a footballer, you want to be 100 per cent. I was afraid there was something wrong with my body.
"Those were difficult times, but it wasn’t really a problem. That’s what we found out."
Nusa has already played 71 times for RB Leipzig at senior level despite still being just 21, and he has provided 10 goals and 11 assists in that time.
Before that, he represented Club Brugge a total of 86 times, so there is a fairly large body of evidence of what he can offer. He began his career with Stabaek in Norway, where he played 13 times.
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Liverpool has already signed one winger this summer: Victor Munoz. However, in addition to the Spaniard, more options in forward areas will be required for Andoni Iraola.
Liverpool.com says: Nusa is clearly talented but he didn't hit the same heights as Diomande last term, so viewing him as an alternative would come with a substantial risk.
In what could prove to be his final year with Leipzig, Nusa scored just five goals in all competitions. He only provided four assists for his teammates, which is underwhelming.