Bundesliga side RB Leipzig have a habit of finding wonderkids and developing them. The likes of Tyler Adams, Dayot Upamecano and Benjamin Sesko are some to name a few who have plied their trade for the team in recent years. The reason why they have so many talented young players is because of the Red Bull ownership. Red Bull own a number of teams across the world, and the majority of the time, their best players are sold to Leipzig, as they are at the top of the hierarchy. Both Upamecano and Sesko played for RB Salzburg, while Tyler Adams played for New York Red Bulls. Their new talent is different however.

Club Career

Antonio Nusa did not play for a Red Bull owned team before he signed for RB Leipzig. The 19-year-old started his career out at Stabaek in his native Norway, being given his first professional contract at the age of 16. Because the Norwegian leagues play through the summer, he was able to start his career quickly, making 11 appearances before the 2021 summer transfer window ended.

A name to potentially make a note of…

In just his third senior appearance, 16-year-old Antonio Nusa scores a stunning goal for Stabaek in the Norwegian top-flight.

Local media have already compared him to Neymar.

He was born in April 2005!#NXGN pic.twitter.com/kWGWwFKxOG

— Tom Maston (@TomMaston) June 27, 2021

On deadline day, he signed a deal with Belgian side Club Brugge. In his first year in Belgian football, he only made four appearances, as he was still young and inexperienced. It was his second season with the side that really helped him develop. In September 2022 he scored his first Champions League goal in a group stage game against Porto. Across the 2022/23 and the 2023/24 seasons, Nusa played 78 times, but struggled to find the back of the net, scoring just six times. Despite his goalscoring record, the Norwegian was still signed by Leipzig in August 2024.

RB Leipzig

Before the September international break, Nusa had played three times for the Bundesliga side in all competitions. All three appearances came from the bench as he totaled just 65 minutes of play time. He was also deployed in three different positions in these games, once off the left, once off the right and the third as an attacking midfielder.

Nusa made his debut for RB Leipzig in the first round of the DFB Pokal, where he came on with seven minutes remaining and scored to put his side 3-1 up before Xavi Simons put the game beyond doubt just three minutes later.

Antonio Nusa for RB Leizpig so far:

7 minutes vs RW Essen ⚽️
35 minutes vs Bochum ⚽️
23 minutes vs Bayer Leverkusen 🅰️

Fantastic start to his new adventure for the 19-year-old Norwegian winger! 🐂🇳🇴 pic.twitter.com/PT78dJe14X

— Football Talent Scout - Jacek Kulig (@FTalentScout) August 31, 2024

His Bundesliga debut came just a week later, as did his first league goal, as he scored the only goal in a 1-0 win over Bochum. He came on in the 55th minute to score just four minutes later and give his side the perfect start to their Bundesliga campaign. In the second league game, Leipzig were up against champions Bayer Leverkusen. Nusa was subbed on with the game level at 2-2 and with just over 20 minutes remaining. He assisted RB Leipzig’s winning goal, with Lois Openda netting his second of the game with 10 minutes left.

Destined for Greatness?

Nusa is just 19 years old, but has already been tipped to be one of the world’s best. Romanian legend and Inter Milan youth coach Cristian Chivu has made it clear that he thinks that Nusa is an incredible talent, and many clubs were looking at signing him in recent transfer windows.

🚨🇳🇴 𝐎𝐅𝐅𝐈𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐋 | RB Leipzig complete signing of Antonio Nusa (19) from Club Brugge! 🔴⚪️

€21m fee + add-ons, as per @FabrizioRomano. He will be the new number 7. pic.twitter.com/923WQDxJtV

— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) August 13, 2024

In January, Brentford had their deal stalled by concerns over his fitness after he underwent a medical at the club. Both Spurs and Chelsea were also interested in that transfer window about a potential deal. This summer, RB Leipzig weren’t the only ones looking to secure his signature. After Michael Olise joined Bayern Munich, Crystal Palace were looking at him as a potential replacement for the midfielder, however their interest never resulted in a firm offer. Instead Nusa joined Leipzig, but he has quite big boots to fill after Dani Olmo joined Barcelona. It’s still early days, but he looks like he is definitely up to that task.