Arsenal Pursue Antonio Nusa in January Transfer Window
Arsenal are moving with quiet conviction behind the scenes as they push to land RB Leipzig winger Antonio Nusa in January, with the club increasingly confident a deal can be done for one of the Bundesliga’s most explosive young wide players.
This is not a scattergun search for another attacker. It is a targeted move, months in the making.
Arsenal’s evolving attack – and the Nusa fit
The summer saw major surgery in Arsenal’s forward line. Christos Tzolis arrived from Club Brugge for around £34m, but Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus all departed, stripping Mikel Arteta of depth and variety in the final third.
The message from the club has been consistent: if the right profile becomes available, they will act. Nusa fits that profile almost perfectly.
Arsenal first weighed up a move for the Norway international in the summer. According to previous reports, including CaughtOffside, he quickly climbed towards the top of their attacking shortlist, with his development at RB Leipzig marking him out as one of the Bundesliga’s most dangerous wide players. Pace, direct running, and a genuine one‑v‑one threat from the left – the exact attributes Arteta has been keen to inject back into his attack.
While Juventus’ Kenan Yildiz also remains on Arsenal’s radar, prising the Turkish talent away from Turin would demand a huge offer and a willingness from the Italian club to even engage. There is no indication of that yet.
Nusa, by contrast, looks more attainable – at least from Arsenal’s perspective.
Confident Gunners vs reluctant Leipzig
Reports this week painted two very different pictures of the pursuit.
The Sun outlined the scale of the challenge, describing a “hurdle” in Arsenal’s attempts to bring Nusa to north London. RB Leipzig, they reported, view the 21‑year‑old as a key figure and have no desire to lose him mid-season. For a club that sells on its own terms, that stance matters.
SunSport’s understanding is that any January deal will be difficult to pull off. Leipzig are not in the habit of weakening themselves halfway through a campaign unless the numbers – and the timing – are irresistible.
Yet The Daily Briefing struck a far more optimistic tone. Their information is that Arsenal are “confident” about landing Nusa, with a potential transfer fee in the region of £45m being discussed. The interest, they stress, is “genuine and concrete”, and the winger is not short of admirers elsewhere, with “numerous other clubs” also tracking him closely.
That contrast sets up a familiar January storyline: a club determined to keep a rising star, and a buyer convinced it can turn pressure, money and player ambition into a breakthrough.
January plans and the looming striker question
Behind the Nusa chase sits a broader transfer strategy that stretches beyond this window.
Fabrizio Romano revealed in September that Arsenal are already mapping out their next big move: a striker. Speaking on the Here We Go podcast, he explained that the club are “still looking at strikers” and “considering options”, with the position identified as the “next priority for Arteta”.
There is no sense of panic. Romano underlined that Arsenal are happy with their current forwards, pointing to the goals already in the side and the club’s relaxed stance over immediate reinforcements down the middle. The need is long-term, not desperate.
His expectation is clear: between now and 2027, Arsenal will address the centre-forward role decisively. If it does not happen in January, the summer window is likely to become the stage for that move.
For now, the focus is sharper out wide. With a reshaped front line and a title challenge to sustain, Arsenal want another weapon on the flanks – someone who can beat a man, stretch a defence and change the tempo of a game in a single sprint.
Nusa ticks those boxes. Leipzig do not want to sell. Arsenal believe they can still find a way.
January will reveal which conviction carries more weight.
