Antonio Nusa

[alpha]

I do not know much about this kid, and only seeing some YouTube clips, he seems to have a profile similar to Jonathan Rowe. Is there anyone with any knowledge of these two who is able to compare/contrast? Does anyone have an idea of the expected transfer fees too?

 

[Ghost Hardware]

How the hell do you know so much about these niche players? Do you actually watch THAT much football?

Haha I work freelance in film and travel quite a bit for work so football is like a pallet cleanser. I always try to catch games when I’m abroad and when I’m home I often like to follow the teams I’ve seen when away. That coupled with when I was younger I played a lot of FM and although I don’t have time to play anymore I still like discovering new players that one day, in my head at least, Spurs might buy .

 

[Ghost Hardware]

I do not know much about this kid, and only seeing some YouTube clips, he seems to have a profile similar to Jonathan Rowe. Is there anyone with any knowledge of these two who is able to compare/contrast? Does anyone have an idea of the expected transfer fees too?

WLB said we are trying to do a deal around £22 mil for Nusa. One would expect it would have quite a few performance related add ons as I think Chelsea offered something like £27 mil for him last summer.

Regards Rowe I haven’t seen enough of him to comment properly but keep in mind he’s 2 years older. Rowe is more 2 footed then Nusa but from the little I’ve seen I do wonder if Rowe Will develop into a more central player. I think @Nick-TopSpursMan did a stat comparison in another thread so I’m sure he can add to match up.

 

[Trix]

So Antonio Nusa in my opinion is one of the most exciting WF in European football in his age bracket, if not THE most. He is certainly the only one I can think of that is not attached to a bigger club such as Arda Guller (Rail Madrid), Bynoe-Gittens (BVB) and Kenan Yildiz (Juventus) being amongst the more high profile ones. On a side note, im really impressed with the new cop or Turkish youngsters coming through, in few years they could have a very good team if they develop obv. Yildiz in particular has impressed me a lot recently and I'd strongly suggest those of you who like to follow youth prospects to give him a watch.

Anyway on to Nusa. So Brugge picked him up off Stabaek for €3 mil. Why did they buy him? Well because at tender age of 16 he already 6 senior starts at LW and a further 5 sub appearances scoring 3 goals including one against Brodo/Glimt. Bellow you can see your standard youtube highlights video of Nusa at 16 playing for Stabaek...



From a young age he was already very impressive. So in the summer of 21 he joined Brugge who had just won the Jupiler Pro League. His first season in Belgium he only featured briefly for the senior team making just 3 appearances however he did grab a goal after coming on as a sub in 87 min against Union. Brugge also won the league that season. The 22/23 season is when he started to feature more heavily for Brugge. when they first started to play him it was at RW rather then LW. It was around 22 when Brugge started to loose their grip on the League and started going through a period of upheaval after winning the league 3 times in a row. They hired and fired Scott Parker (he lasted 12 games) and as I mentioned are currently sitting 5th in the league which is of great disappointment to club. In Nusa's short time there he has already had something like 5 or 6 senior team managers (i need to double check that but im fairly sure its around that number). But despite that upheaval he has developed and developed very well. But when asked why Nusa's numbers aren't better I think this constant changing of ideas does not help a 17/18 year old.

Ronny Delia, the current manager, tends to favour a classic 4231. They tend to move the ball up the pitch quickly and are always looking for a counter. Nusa in his system, in the games ive watched at least, is often given quite a bit of freedom. As the full backs tend to go for an overlap Nusa will often drift inside with Meijer providing the width. It's not unusual for Nusa to almost move into the position of an AM at times, likewise he will often look to get into the box and for a goalscoring opportunity. I've compared him to Soulé in the past, another player I really like, and there is certainly cross over in regards to movement and positions the players take up. Both players like to feel the ball at their feet and play a large role in the development of a game. Whilst Nusa has incredible versatility and can play across the fron line he is primarily a LW. If you look at the heat map from the beginning of the season you can see he still spends most of his time sitting out on the wing but you can see that he likes to cut in rather then go to the byline, again fairly normal behaviour for a team that plays overlapping FB, and I would hazard a guess that if you found one from later in this season it would be more varied.

View attachment 136812

In regards to skill set Nusa, forr an 18 year old, he has an abundance of natural talent. I mean he looked special at 16 and has continued to impress since his senior team debut. He is a fantastic dribbler, his balance is exceptional and he is excellent at catching a defender off balance by swiftly moving the ball in the opposite direction. Its not just his dribbling that is impressive but he actually has really good vision. Much like his finishing, that i will mention bellow, he needs to work on the weight of his passing at times as often he will see something but not quite pull it off but the understanding is there. On a defensive side of things he is perfect for Ange, he track backs, tackles and works hard for the team. Also as mentioned Nusa is extremely versatile and can very comfortably play on the right. He is decent with his left foot but not anywhere near Rowe who we were also looking at. Still i'd have no qualms about starting him RW for a few matches even if he will certainly give his best LW. He has also played CF.

In regards to weakness he does have some. His finishing needs work. He actually has decent shooting technique when he settles himself but it needs refining and sometimes he can just put too much power on his efforts rather then taking a beat and picking a spot. Physicality is a big one, and I can imagine that setting off alarm bells for many people reading this. Yes its true he is slight and yes he can be bullied off the ball quite easily at times... que the Gil comparisons. Interestingly Gil was also one of the leading dribblers in La liga when we bought him if I remember correctly. Statistically he was excellent on the ball so I can understand why some would be worried with Nusa at first glance. Big difference is Nusa's acceleration plus ability to cut and manipulate the ball at speed. Nusa isn't that fast, i mean he is quick (hes certainly not slow) just not super fast but he does have great acceleration, balance and very quick feet so that helps a lot when running with the ball. Also Gil has a very different style of dribbling which is less nuanced and more direct. Nusa in general has more flair, using a roll over to gain an angle. He will need to bulk up but already I think he'd be in a better place to deal with a more physical defence.

In general tho its good to remember he is only 18 and still has a lot of physical developing ahead of him. That goes for his ability as well. IMO, as I said at the start, he has all the tools to become one of the best WF in the world but he will need time and help getting their. I don't have the stats too hand and in all honesty i can't be bothered to search for them now, ill leave that to @Nick-TopSpursMan, but he really is up their with the best in his age group on paper as well. IF we were to get him then we would have to do what we can to aid his development. Part of me wonders if it might even be wiser to loan him out next season as well as this one. But in general it would be a phenomenal signing and one of the most exciting youth players we would have brought to this club in years when considering where he already is at 18 in his development.

I probably forgot some info and im by no means an expert but hopefully this will give you a basic outline of who he is.

I can tell you as a matter of fact nearly every serious academy up and down the country has a couple of lads at various ages that are superb dribblers, they aren't uncommon. Great balance, shift the ball quickly, can usually go both ways etc etc, but usually they have other serious flaws in their game. They aren't physical enough, or they play with their head down, and more often than not they don't take instruction well. It's actually a big reason why a lot of these technical dribblers don't make it. From an early age out in the park they've been head and shoulders skill wise above their peers but it's all about them. They are head down and run at what's in front of them. Beat one man, need to be two etc beat him need to beat 3. It's why they don't usually make it because it's something they've been doing since they were 4-5. How many of these amazing wonder kids with a 3 hour clips montage on youtube of them running through entire teams actually make it?

As I've said a hundred times I take very little notice about stats, heatmaps and xg because it never tells the story imo. When I'm watching youth games I'm constantly looking for outliers, players that do something different or far better than everyone else in their position. I watched a 7 minute clip of this kid and something stood out to me immediately, so much so I watched the clip 3 times to check if I was right in what I thought I saw.

From the admittedly short sample size, this kid is like an owl. I can't remember the last young player I've watched who pays that much attention to where he is and who is around him. Before he picks it up he's scanning, on his first touch he's scanning, after he's moved it on and he's running into space he's scanning again. I mean you can visibly see it in a YT clip he's constantly surveying the area. When coaches tell you you need to have your head on a swivel this is what they mean. Not only though is he doing this but he's so confident with his touch he does it whilst receiving the ball, which in itself is a rare commodity.

I haven't seen enough of the kid to make an overall assessment like you have, but seeing that in that clip was enough to tell me he's worth taking time to look a bit deeper.

 

[E17yid]

Based purely on YouTube I’d rather the rows guy as he looks a better finisher. This kid looks like his finishing isn’t the greatest. Obviously they’re both young and that and YouTube is a load of bollocks but that’s my takeaway.

 

[keithtighe93]

Only a silver so that's cheap. Have a look at that pace and drive, those are well good. I say buy! View attachment 136813

It’s dribbling mate, not drive haha

 

[Nick-TopSpursMan]

I do not know much about this kid, and only seeing some YouTube clips, he seems to have a profile similar to Jonathan Rowe. Is there anyone with any knowledge of these two who is able to compare/contrast? Does anyone have an idea of the expected transfer fees too?

Nusa is a much better 2 way dribbler than Rowe and more comfortable in wide areas. Nusa also looks a lot more creative too. This also shows in the stats as well as the eye test.

Rowe is more 2 footed but seems to do the bulk of his good work in very central areas.

I would say Rowe looks like more of a goalscoring attacking midfielder where as Nusa is more of a winger/wing forward. Rowe is also outperforming his xG which means he’s either an excellent finisher or he’s on a temporary hot streak.

Nusa is also 2 years younger and has a far higher ceiling based on what I’ve seen.

 

[bceej]

Nusa is a much better 2 way dribbler than Rowe and more comfortable in wide areas. Nusa also looks a lot more creative too. This also shows in the stats as well as the eye test.

Rowe is more 2 footed but seems to do the bulk of his good work in very central areas.

I would say Rowe looks like more of a goalscoring attacking midfielder where as Nusa is more of a winger/wing forward. He is also outperforming his xG which means he’s either an excellent finisher or he’s on a temporary hot streak.

Nusa is also 2 years younger and has a far higher ceiling based on what I’ve seen.

So there's space for both of them!

 

[Cochise]

Why not just get both?

Nusa would be really exciting. You'd imagine that next season he'd be kept in the senior setup and rotating with Son.

I can see Perisic and Gil being the two to go but even then it feels like we are overloaded up top unless we loan Veliz out.

 

[tubbygold]

Nusa is a much better 2 way dribbler than Rowe and more comfortable in wide areas. Nusa also looks a lot more creative too. This also shows in the stats as well as the eye test.

Rowe is more 2 footed but seems to do the bulk of his good work in very central areas.

I would say Rowe looks like more of a goalscoring attacking midfielder where as Nusa is more of a winger/wing forward. He is also outperforming his xG which means he’s either an excellent finisher or he’s on a temporary hot streak.

Nusa is also 2 years younger and has a far higher ceiling based on what I’ve seen.

From videos he definitely seems like an excellent finisher, Rowe. Very composed in all situations.

 

[Erm33]

So it us and United....

Someone send him this video... Didn't end up badly for Gareth...

 

[Ghost Hardware]

I can tell you as a matter of fact nearly every serious academy up and down the country has a couple of lads at various ages that are superb dribblers, they aren't uncommon. Great balance, shift the ball quickly, can usually go both ways etc etc, but usually they have other serious flaws in their game. They aren't physical enough, or they play with their head down, and more often than not they don't take instruction well. It's actually a big reason why a lot of these technical dribblers don't make it. From an early age out in the park they've been head and shoulders skill wise above their peers but it's all about them. They are head down and run at what's in front of them. Beat one man, need to be two etc beat him need to beat 3. It's why they don't usually make it because it's something they've been doing since they were 4-5. How many of these amazing wonder kids with a 3 hour clips montage on youtube of them running through entire teams actually make it?

As I've said a hundred times I take very little notice about stats, heatmaps and xg because it never tells the story imo. When I'm watching youth games I'm constantly looking for outliers, players that do something different or far better than everyone else in their position. I watched a 7 minute clip of this kid and something stood out to me immediately, so much so I watched the clip 3 times to check if I was right in what I thought I saw.

From the admittedly short sample size, this kid is like an owl. I can't remember the last young player I've watched who pays that much attention to where he is and who is around him. Before he picks it up he's scanning, on his first touch he's scanning, after he's moved it on and he's running into space he's scanning again. I mean you can visibly see it in a YT clip he's constantly surveying the area. When coaches tell you you need to have your head on a swivel this is what they mean. Not only though is he doing this but he's so confident with his touch he does it whilst receiving the ball, which in itself is a rare commodity.

I haven't seen enough of the kid to make an overall assessment like you have, but seeing that in that clip was enough to tell me he's worth taking time to look a bit deeper.

Oh you’re spot on re dribbling ability. I remember reading about Yann Gueho, theres a fascinating article on the Atheltic about him. Kind of puts in to perspective how many incredibly talented players there are out there but so many just don’t have the all round game or mentality to go the distance. Obviously his narrative is an extreme one but it’s still relevant. Point being from what i know you’re right and I’m not trying to suggest he, or any of the others I mention, are only that. Ultimately if you skin 3 or 4 players it doesn’t make much difference if your passing or finishing is dreadful or, as you say, don’t get your head up.

Like you point out about him having his head on swivel when receiving the ball it’s actually his vision that I find one of the most exciting things about him. Fact is although it might not always come off he is still seeing the movement and reading the game. I think that is where dribbling becomes more of a threat. If as a player you can detect a weakness in the oppositions set up the more tools you have at your disposal the better you can exploit it.

The reason I put dribbling first is that out of all his skills it’s probably the most polished but he is far more then just another young prospect who just likes to take players on and doesn’t have any other remarkable skills.

 

[mil1lion]

I just want another signing , it's been like a week already

 

[ukdy]

I just want another signing , it's been like a week already

 

[tubbygold]

I can tell you as a matter of fact nearly every serious academy up and down the country has a couple of lads at various ages that are superb dribblers, they aren't uncommon. Great balance, shift the ball quickly, can usually go both ways etc etc, but usually they have other serious flaws in their game. They aren't physical enough, or they play with their head down, and more often than not they don't take instruction well. It's actually a big reason why a lot of these technical dribblers don't make it. From an early age out in the park they've been head and shoulders skill wise above their peers but it's all about them. They are head down and run at what's in front of them. Beat one man, need to be two etc beat him need to beat 3. It's why they don't usually make it because it's something they've been doing since they were 4-5. How many of these amazing wonder kids with a 3 hour clips montage on youtube of them running through entire teams actually make it?

As I've said a hundred times I take very little notice about stats, heatmaps and xg because it never tells the story imo. When I'm watching youth games I'm constantly looking for outliers, players that do something different or far better than everyone else in their position. I watched a 7 minute clip of this kid and something stood out to me immediately, so much so I watched the clip 3 times to check if I was right in what I thought I saw.

From the admittedly short sample size, this kid is like an owl. I can't remember the last young player I've watched who pays that much attention to where he is and who is around him. Before he picks it up he's scanning, on his first touch he's scanning, after he's moved it on and he's running into space he's scanning again. I mean you can visibly see it in a YT clip he's constantly surveying the area. When coaches tell you you need to have your head on a swivel this is what they mean. Not only though is he doing this but he's so confident with his touch he does it whilst receiving the ball, which in itself is a rare commodity.

I haven't seen enough of the kid to make an overall assessment like you have, but seeing that in that clip was enough to tell me he's worth taking time to look a bit deeper.

Very good points, and exactly this, the head on a swivel, is a big part of why Messi is on another level (a part from being something other than human). He as well is constantly scanning the areas around him.

And then we have someone like Moura, who for all his ability and spirit usually just ran the ball into opposition players eventually, as per your example.

 

[TOMSPURS]

Looks a fantastic prospect, with huge potential. Another bonus in that he speaks excellent English.
It would continue the trend with our recent signings who can communicate and speak english well...Udogie, Vic, VDV, Manor, Drag, Werner.
It undoubtedly helps players settle in quicker not only at the training ground & club, but living in London generally.

 

[fishhhandaricecake]

Is he a young winger?

 

[Kuryakin]

It’s dribbling mate, not drive haha

A what now?

 

[Reece_Spurs]

I can tell you as a matter of fact nearly every serious academy up and down the country has a couple of lads at various ages that are superb dribblers, they aren't uncommon. Great balance, shift the ball quickly, can usually go both ways etc etc, but usually they have other serious flaws in their game. They aren't physical enough, or they play with their head down, and more often than not they don't take instruction well. It's actually a big reason why a lot of these technical dribblers don't make it. From an early age out in the park they've been head and shoulders skill wise above their peers but it's all about them. They are head down and run at what's in front of them. Beat one man, need to be two etc beat him need to beat 3. It's why they don't usually make it because it's something they've been doing since they were 4-5. How many of these amazing wonder kids with a 3 hour clips montage on youtube of them running through entire teams actually make it?

As I've said a hundred times I take very little notice about stats, heatmaps and xg because it never tells the story imo. When I'm watching youth games I'm constantly looking for outliers, players that do something different or far better than everyone else in their position. I watched a 7 minute clip of this kid and something stood out to me immediately, so much so I watched the clip 3 times to check if I was right in what I thought I saw.

From the admittedly short sample size, this kid is like an owl. I can't remember the last young player I've watched who pays that much attention to where he is and who is around him. Before he picks it up he's scanning, on his first touch he's scanning, after he's moved it on and he's running into space he's scanning again. I mean you can visibly see it in a YT clip he's constantly surveying the area. When coaches tell you you need to have your head on a swivel this is what they mean. Not only though is he doing this but he's so confident with his touch he does it whilst receiving the ball, which in itself is a rare commodity.

I haven't seen enough of the kid to make an overall assessment like you have, but seeing that in that clip was enough to tell me he's worth taking time to look a bit deeper.

I Completely agree with all of this post other than you need to just accept that data is an incredibly important tool in modern day sports. There's a reason we've gone in the data driven lane in some areas aswell, because it mostly works. If you think teams like Brighton and Brentford and many German clubs find all the gems they do based on the "eye test" then you'd be wrong. Most of the hidden gems are picked up through data, but almost always stand out data, a huge high number in successful dribbles or take ons etc might make them stand out about anyone else in the league.

Having said all that, i'm also completely against being totally data driven as there's nothing better than a properly good old school scout who genuinely has a good eye for top talent and as you said, has that something special that set's them apart from the rest, so a good mixture is really important.

I'm actually more impressed with our recruitment actually digging a bit deeper seemingly and making sure the players we are looking at seem to have a solid background family wise and a mature head on their shoulders, seems almost more important in todays game than the actual players potential in some cases, and we seem to have a couple on our books because of the lack of this in the recent past.

 

[the yid]

Only a silver so that's cheap. Have a look at that pace and drive, those are well good. I say buy! View attachment 136813

I had him on a career mode on fc 24 ended up 87 before I gave up with that team