Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur head into the next round of Premier League fixtures in different situations. Arsenal sit six points clear after nine wins from 10, the latest a 1-0 grind against Hull City, and Mikel Arteta’s side is third in the Champions League league phase with 10 points from four after a 2-1 win at Slavia Prague. Only a League Cup exit to Fleetwood Town has dented the run, which is why Antonio Nusa transfer news means such different things to the two clubs.
Tottenham reached the international break after a 1-0 defeat at Leeds United snapped a run of 10 points from a possible 12. Roberto De Zerbi’s side hold the ball without hurting anybody, and Omar Marmoush and Dominic Solanke have scored just two Premier League goals between them all season. Mykhailo Mudryk has struggled to settle into a consistent role, while Wilson Odobert stretches defences but lacks maturity in the final third.
Arsenal’s left side is the one area where Arteta still experiments. Christos Tzolis adds directness but is still adapting to the discipline Arteta demands without the ball, Eberechi Eze brings ball retention for the half-spaces, and Kai Havertz or Noni Madueke occasionally shift across. A few high-profile left-sided targets slipped away in the summer, which prompted the Tzolis signing.
Two clubs, one winger
Football FanCast reports that Tottenham have entered the race for RB Leipzig’s 21-year-old Norwegian winger, valued at around £67 million (€80 million). Arsenal, Newcastle United, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace also want him, and he has six goals and eight assists this season. Spurs explored a deal in the summer but failed to close it.
Why the fit differs
Nusa wins 6.62 duels per game and averages 3.03 successful dribbles, 2.62 chances created and 1.93 fouls won. His weaknesses are a raw physical profile, low-value shots, unfinished low-block tracking and little presence in the central box. De Zerbi builds deep to draw opponents out, then hits isolated wingers, which suits Nusa. Arteta wants wingers who pin fullbacks and know when to slow the tempo, so Nusa’s high-risk dribbling could clash with his dislike of transitional turnovers.
Who needs this winger more, Arsenal or Tottenham?
Tottenham, by a distance. Their attack is structurally broken, and Mohammed Kudus keeps forcing balls into an empty box because the strikers have stagnated. Paying a premium to hijack Arsenal’s interest is justified, even though Nusa will not cure the Solanke and Marmoush drought on his own.
Arsenal should pass in January. Leipzig have no intention of selling mid-season, so a winter deal would demand an irrational premium on top of the £67 million valuation, and Viktor Gyökeres and an in-form Madueke make the front line work. Summer 2027 is cleaner, with Martin Ødegaard able to use his relationship with his Norwegian compatriot.
