Antonio Nusa: Potentially Palace
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Oliver Glasner’s Eagles have entered the summer with wild ambition, with two signings essentially locked down already – centre-back Chadi Riad and forward Daichi Kamada – before the transfer window has even officially opened.
Aside from the pair of Riad and Kamada, Palace has heavily scouted and targeted young talents offering immediate depth and, for the long-term, potential star power. Jobe Bellingham is one of the names mentioned fitting in this category, but there is another talent Palace have their eyes on for this window: Antonio Nusa.
Who is Antonio Nusa?
At just 19 years old, Nusa has made his name known over his last two years spent at Club Brugge in Belgium. Prior to his time in Belgium, Nusa was spotted in the Stabæk academy in Norway.
Primarily playing as a left winger, Nusa has occasionally been situated on the right wing as well, though there is no question he is most comfortable on the left as a right-footed inside forward.
The winger possesses dual nationality between Norway and Nigeria, though made his debut for Norway’s senior team last August against Jordan, starting in his natural left wing position. He took no time to make an impact, scoring in the 11th minute - a debut goal.
Only days later, Nusa started alongside Erling Haaland and Martin Ødegaard in a Euro 2024 qualifying match against Georgia, tallying an assist to each of the Norwegian superstars in a 2-1 victory.
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Nusa’s performances have caught the eye of many clubs across Europe, and both Tottenham and Brentford sought a deal for the talent in January until a failed medical with Brentford brought the transfer to a halt. Fans can rest easy knowing Nusa’s medical issue in January is not a high concern; the winger returned to Club Brugge’s starting eleven just weeks after the failed transfer.
Nonetheless, Brentford were prepared to pay a club-record fee for Nusa, representative of the player’s sky-high potential and rising profile. Not only has the player ascended to Norway’s senior squad, but he also debuted in the UEFA Champions League nearly two whole years ago - at just 17 years of age - and scored in the same match.
His ascent to European football’s heights at such a young age means his services will be in high demand, though Palace appear well-situated to offer him time to adapt and a clear developmental path behind Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise.
Why do Crystal Palace want him?
Despite Glasner’s relatively short stint at Palace to date, the archetype of a “Glasner signing” has already become quite clear. Beyond that – and perhaps more so – the Norwegian fits the model of sporting director Dougie Freedman’s recent signings, that being 20-and-under ascendants, proven senior experience in international leagues, or a combination of the two.
Nusa fulfils both bullet points. Among the young talents in recent times, Nusa feels quite similar to the signing of Matheus França last summer, partly due to their youth but also because the two youngsters have a similar positional player profile. For the latter point, the immediate success of wing-back Daniel Muñoz after his acquisition from KRC Genk may be an encouraging sign for the signing of Nusa, being a fellow Belgian Pro League talent.
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As of now, Palace hope and expect to be able to keep stars Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise for the upcoming season. With release clauses in both players’ contracts, however, Palace’s attack entering 2024/25 could change in an instant if the right club came along for the right price to snatch away one of Eze or Olise, or even both. Thus, Oliver Glasner and Palace will want to have depth options that could step into regular minutes if it becomes needed.
The preference for the club, surely, will be to lay out a developmental route for Nusa where he works behind Eze as a depth option for the upcoming season. Eze’s more-than-likely subsequent departure next summer would then leave Nusa prepared to step into the regular starting role.
Given Palace’s strong track record of developmental success in recent times, including during Glasner’s short time in charge, the club will hope a strong plan of this sort would be enough to convince Nusa to pack his bags for South London.
Can he play in Glasner’s system?
In Glasner’s set-up, Eberechi Eze often plays as a LW in a 3-4-3/3-4-2-1 shape. In this system, the wingers are responsible for the majority of goal-creation actions and attacking threat, with free reign to drift in to space. These demands are similar to those that Nicky Hayen places upon 19-year-old Nusa for Club Brugge.
The Norwegian's understanding and footballing IQ is one of his greatest strengths. His ability to perceive space and calculate areas to penetrate means that adjusting to Crystal Palace’s set up will not be an issue. Coupled with his technical abilities, it is hard to see Nusa struggling in this system.
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If there were to be concerns over how Nusa would fit in this system, it would primarily stem from the aforementioned physical deficiencies. Due to Eze’s physical prowess and presence, Glasner tasks the Englishman with defensive responsibility out of possession, often jumping interiorly to cut passing lanes and supporting Mitchell and the LCM (Doucoure/Lerma) with tracking back.
Nusa’s physical inferiority could lead to questions over his out-of-possession concentration and efficiency which could cause doubt over his net influence in the team.
How does Nusa compare to Eberechi Eze?
Under Glasner, Eze’s main responsibility has been the creation of shot creating actions for Jean-Phillipe Mateta. Eze averaged 4 shot-creating actions per 90 minutes during the 2023/24 Premier League campaign, slightly inferior to Nusa’s 5.
Of course, there is a gap in quality between the Belgian Pro League and the Premier League, but it's still enough to suggest Nusa has the potential to contribute in a similar fashion.
Similarly to Eze, Nusa is an excellent isolation winger. When running at opposition defenders, Nusa places a lot of emphasis on the preparation in the lead-up to attacking actions against defenders. When facing up, similarly to Eze, he aims to control the duel with the defender by settling them with small steps closer to the defender, then quickly bursting with body shifts to unsettle and skip past defenders.
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A small detail that Nusa focuses on to ensure success in 1v1 scenarios is his body orientation whilst running at the opposition. Nusa aims to orientate his body at a 45-degree angle creating more chaos by allowing him 2 escape paths - proceeding out wide or cutting inside.
Like Eze, Nusa is predominately right-footed but his weaker left foot does not hinder his decision-making, having enough competence to be able to attack the by-line and swing in crosses with his left foot. This 2-way threat makes him a defender’s nightmare and earning him the title of “The Norwegian Neymar”.
Unlike Eze who has a more grounded and stockier 5’10” frame, Nusa has a slimmer 5’11” frame with long powerful legs. These minute details effect how the two players take on opposition players. For Nusa, he is able to carry the ball with big strides allowing him to be a threat in small and large zones all across the pitch.
However, Nusa is unable to ride challenges and brush off defenders as efficiently as the Englishman, and his physical presence is something that would need improving especially in a league that places more emphasis on physical prowess.
What does this mean for Matheus França?
Being of a similar positional profile as well as age, Nusa’s acquisition offers competition for Matheus França after a less-than-ideal debut season in South London. It is not a sign the club has given up on França, and it is important to note França was a player held in extremely high regard by some of Europe’s absolute best clubs before Palace won out his sweepstakes. As mentioned previously, Nusa can also operate on the other side of the pitch when asked, and so there are potential paths forward for both players in Palace’s rotation.
Oliver Glasner is aiming for a Palace team with strength in depth so as to avoid the injury disaster that plagued much of last season, and so assuring Eberechi Eze has a rotational option behind him is critical.
Is he ready?
Whether Antonio Nusa is ready is a difficult question, purely because of the uncertainty around what Nusa should be “ready” for at Palace. If signed today, Nusa would be a rotational option in the Palace attack behind Eze, with other depth pieces such as Daichi Kamada and Matheus França offering similar qualities. If this is what Nusa’s role becomes at Palace, then he should be ready very quickly.
With the departure of either Eze or Olise (or both), Nusa’s readiness for a larger role becomes cloudier. If only one of the pair departs, it is likely Kamada steps into the starting role in the immediate future as the proven, experienced player – and perhaps that strategically takes the pressure off Nusa’s shoulders. The departure of both Eze and Olise in the same summer, though, could force the Norwegian into a role much different from what he, Freedman, and Glasner would prefer.
Article written by Riley Moquin and @CounterPressers.
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