Arsenal are poised to compete with Tottenham Hotspur to sign RB Leipzig winger Antonio Nusa, according to The Sun.
The Gunners recently secured the signing of Club Brugge star Christos Tzolis. The Greek has arrived as a replacement for Leandro Trossard on the left wing.
Arsenal are also open to parting ways with Gabriel Martinelli. A marquee left winger could be signed despite the recent setback on Morgan Rogers.
Rogers was the prime target for manager Mikel Arteta, but London counterparts Chelsea hijacked the pursuit by agreeing to pay a club-record £117m.
The Sun now claim that the Gunners are keen on landing Nusa after Tzolis, and they are preparing to go head-to-head with Tottenham for the 21-year-old.
RB Leipzig are unlikely to sanction his sale on the cheap and are holding out for £51m.
As things stand, Arsenal are approaching the situation strategically. They are waiting to assess incoming offers for Martinelli before making a formal approach.
Nusa does not represent a marquee signing
The 21-year-old had a decent World Cup with Norway. He showed glimpses of his quality and scored a fabulous long-range goal in the victory over the Ivory Coast.
Looking at last season’s statistics, Nusa managed just five goals and four assists from 35 appearances across all competitions for Leipzig. He had a shot-to-goal conversion rate of only seven percent.
Based on that, he would not represent a marquee acquisition for the left wing. He could be a direct competitor to Tzolis next term, but the Gunners need a game-changer and an upgrade on Martinelli.
We don’t believe Nusa would provide that. Arsenal are better off looking at more high-profile options. Paris Saint-Germain’s Bradley Barcola and RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande should be targeted.
The pair managed 20 and 26 goal contributions at club level respectively last season.
Diomande looks out of reach amid his desire to join Paris Saint-Germain, but Barcola has yet to make a definitive decision about his future despite Liverpool’s ongoing transfer pursuit.
If Arsenal were to look for a Premier League alternative, Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford would be a far better signing than Nusa. He could be signed from the Red Devils for a lower fee.
Rashford bagged one goal and one assist in just over 200 minutes at the World Cup. He had a fine season on loan at Barcelona last season, registering 14 goals and 14 assists from 49 matches.
We feel the Gunners should pursue a better solution than Nusa to reinforce the left wing department.