Arsenal Targets Nusa Amidst Liverpool Interest

Arsenal’s title defence has barely begun on the pitch, but in the market they are already playing like champions on the front foot.

Mikel Arteta’s search for attacking reinforcements has gone up a gear, the need sharpened by Leandro Trossard’s departure and the sudden bareness of the left flank. With Gabriel Martinelli now the only established natural option on that side, Arsenal are not just browsing. They are hunting.

And their latest target puts them on a collision course with Liverpool.

Arsenal move on Nusa as Leipzig dig in

Arsenal are preparing an opening bid of around €40 million (£34 million) for RB Leipzig winger Antonio Nusa, who has emerged from the 2026 World Cup as one of Europe’s most intriguing young wide forwards.

The 21-year-old Norway international lit up the tournament, helping his country into the quarter-finals and announcing himself to a wider audience with a stunning solo goal against Ivory Coast. It was the kind of moment that sticks in the minds of recruitment teams: pace, balance, composure, and the arrogance to go it alone when the game begged for a spark.

That highlight reel now comes with a premium. Leipzig are understood to value Nusa closer to €60 million (£52 million), a sizeable gap from Arsenal’s planned opening offer and a clear sign that the Bundesliga club feel no pressure to sell.

Liverpool are already in the frame, viewing Nusa as a more attainable option than Yan Diomande after their pursuit of his Leipzig teammate fell apart. Arsenal’s move, then, is not happening in isolation. This is a straight contest between two clubs who both see the same thing: a high-ceiling winger with the tools to explode in the Premier League.

Life after Trossard: a hole on the left

Trossard’s switch to Besiktas has changed the dynamics of Arsenal’s summer. The Belgian was not always a guaranteed starter, but he offered something invaluable to a title-chasing squad: reliability, experience, and a different profile to Martinelli.

Take him out, and the left side suddenly looks fragile.

Arteta now leans heavily on Martinelli, whose direct running and aggression have become central to Arsenal’s identity. Behind him? Youth, improvisation, and makeshift solutions. For a team defending a Premier League crown and fighting on multiple fronts, that is a risk the club hierarchy seem unwilling to tolerate.

Nusa, if Arsenal can get him, would not be a like-for-like replacement for Trossard. He would be something else entirely. His game is built on explosive acceleration, fearless dribbling and a constant urge to isolate and attack defenders one-on-one. He stretches games, breaks structure, and forces opponents to double up. At 21, he also carries the promise of significant growth under a coach who has already shown he can refine raw talent into elite output.

This is not just about depth. It is about adding a new weapon.

Why Nusa wouldn’t close the door on Rogers

Even if Arsenal land Nusa, their work on that flank should not be done.

The club’s interest in Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers reflects a different need. Rogers brings Premier League experience and a versatility that Arteta values highly: comfortable on the left, dangerous in central pockets behind the striker, and tactically mature enough to plug into various structures without the attack losing its shape.

If Nusa is the high-upside winger who can terrorise full-backs and grow into a star, Rogers is the plug-and-play option who can raise the immediate level of the first XI. One stretches the pitch; the other knits it together.

In an ideal scenario, Arsenal do not choose between them. They take both.

Rogers could walk into the matchday squad as a serious contender to start, giving Arteta another trusted operator in the final third. Nusa, at the same time, would push Martinelli, forcing standards up and offering a different flavour of threat when games demand something more unpredictable.

Depth for a champion’s schedule

Arteta knows what awaits. A title defence, the grind of Europe, domestic cups, and the constant expectation that Arsenal play with intensity and incision every three days. That kind of schedule exposes thin squads mercilessly.

Right now, the left side of Arsenal’s attack does not match the demands of the season to come. Two high-quality additions there would change that picture overnight.

Whether the club can outmanoeuvre Liverpool for Nusa, persuade Leipzig to soften their stance, and still find room in the budget and squad for Rogers will define the shape of Arteta’s forward line.

Champions are judged by how they respond to losing key pieces. Arsenal have lost Trossard. How boldly they move now will tell us how serious they are about staying on top.