This summer, Ståle Solbakken was asked why Antonio Nusa could deliver world-class in the Norwegian national team shirt, while his performances at RB Leipzig were so-so. Solbakken didn’t have a good answer either: “It’s not the same player who plays in Leipzig who plays for us. I don’t have a good explanation for that,” Solbakken stated this summer. We believe the explanation lies in something as simple as “2005”.
This is the year Antonio Nusa came into the world. We have become so used to expecting the total breakthrough in the senior arena for the best teenagers, but forget that a superstar like Lamine Yamal is not the normal, but the extreme. Even the greatest talents need time to find stability at a high level. Nusa can sparkle in individual matches, but needs time to develop over the next few years to become the complete player who delivers regardless of opponents, weather conditions and daily form.
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It’s easy to forget that even Martin Ødegaard needed time.
This summer, Nusa has been linked to several clubs, not surprisingly after what he showed in the World Cup, but has remained at RB Leipzig. Fellow winger Yan Diomande had a bad time, the 19-year-old disappeared to Real Madrid in the summer.
Nusa stayed at the club he knows, with expectations that are not linked to an insane transfer fee like Diomande, but as a player Leipzig should aim to provide the best working conditions for further development.
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Last season, Nusa scored 5 goals in 35 games in the RB Leipzig shirt. Three games into the new season for the same club, the 21-year-old has 2 goals (1 Bundesliga, 1 cup).
No need to ponder why Nusa has not delivered in the Bundesliga as it has for Norway. This is coming!
