Chelsea are now "100%" keen on signing a wonderkid who has been tipped to be a future icon, according to reporter Ben Jacobs.
What's the latest Chelsea transfer news?
The Blues have recently been linked with a move for a new left-back, as US Lecce's Patrick Dorgu has revealed that he dreams of signing for the club, despite the fact Barcelona are also keen, although it is unlikely Mauricio Pochettino targets a player in that area of the pitch.
Another youngster the west London club are interested in signing is Corinthians midfielder Gabriel Moscardo, who has attracted the attention of a number of Premier League sides, with Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest and Everton also interested.
At the end of the summer transfer window, it was revealed that Chelsea set their sights on Club Brugge winger Antonio Nusa, going as far as to submit a £26m bid, but they were unable to get a deal over the line with limited time remaining. However, there has now been a suggestion the Blues could come back in for the winger, with the club clearly focussing on making young additions to the squad, as Jacobs has now credited them with an interest in an interview with GiveMeSport.
When asked whether Chelsea could be scouting the 18-year-old, the reporter said: "Yeah, 100%. Chelsea came in towards the end of the last window for Nusa, and it was made clear to them, with the player driving this narrative, that there wasn't anything possible this year. That's because he's young and currently quite settled at Club Brugge.
"From what I'm told, Nusa spoke to the manager there and very quickly decided that it was not the right time to move, especially not to Chelsea, because you look at their project full of other young stars, and, to an extent, uncertainty, and unless Chelsea could buy him and, for example, loan him back, his gametime could well have been limited. I think from this point of view, he believes there will be more suitors in 2024, whether in January or the summer and that Chelsea could well be back."
How good is Antonio Nusa?
The Club Brugge starlet has done enough to impress football talent scout Jacek Kulig, who branded him a "future icon of Norwegian football", while he has also likened him to Paris Saint-Germain superstar Kylian Mbappe. The Norwegian youngster is an exceptional dribbler of the ball, ranking in the 99th percentile for progressive carries and successful take-ons per 90 over the past year, when compared to his positional peers playing at a similar level.
Although he is still very young, the forward has already managed to break into the Brugge starting XI, and he has been very impressive at the beginning of the Belgian Pro League season, weighing in with two goals and two assists in five games.
Nusa may not immediately be able to challenge for a starting spot at Chelsea, given that they are blessed with attacking talent, but he clearly has a lot of potential, and he would be an exciting addition to Pochettino's squad.