Manchester United join race to sign player who nearly joined Chelsea this summer- Reports
Manchester United have reportedly joined the fray for Club Brugge attacker Antonio Nusa, who was close to joining Chelsea this summer.
Nusa, 18, has made top clubs sit up and take notice with his sparkling performances for Brugge that belies his tender years. In five Jupiler Pro League games, he has contributed two goals and as many assists. That earned him a maiden Norway call-up in the September international break.
The teenager nearly joined the Blues on deadline day. As reported by GOAL, Chelsea made an offer to Brugges for his services but the player declined them, deeming there to be better opportunities for his growth elsewhere.
Mauricio Pochettino's side have retained their interest in Nusa, who's also the subject of interest of Arsenal and Real Madrid, as per fichajes.net. The publication reports that United have joined the European trio and have appointed scouts to monitor the player's performances in the Jupiler Pro League and Europa League.
What did Manchester United target Antonio Nusa say about rejecting Chelsea?
Chelsea have undergone a massive rebuild this summer, with new boss Mauricio Pochettino spending nearly £450 million on new arrivals. The Blues targetted young players, and one of them in their radar was Nusa.
However, a deadline day move for the youngster failed, as mentioned above. Nusa has explained why he rejected the Blues' generous offer. The 18-year-old told TV2 (as per GOAL):
“I already knew that it wasn’t going to happen, but then the money came on the table. Then it’s seen in a slightly different way. We had to have another conversation when the money arrived, but we were on the same page, so there was no problem there. I knew what to do anyway, so it was fine."
The Manchester United target added:
“That’s a lot of money. A lot of money. But I try not to think about it so much. I can’t focus on that, you know. I don’t think it’s good for me."
Both Manchester United and Chelsea have made underwhelming starts to their 2023-24 campaign, especially in the league. Erik ten Hag's side have won only two of their five league games and are 13th in the standings, a place and a point above the Blues (5), who have won only once in five outings.