Manager believes trade won’t happen, but £31 million ace left out of squad following Tottenham negotiations
Antonio Nusa is not in the KRC Genk starting lineup for tonight’s match, but manager Ronny Deila is optimistic that the Tottenham Hotspur and Brentford target won’t be making a move worth more than £30 million to the Premier League.
The Jupiler League match between Genk and OH Leuven tonight could have been Antonio Nusa’s final appearance if things had gone differently and Brentford had not been alarmed by something they found out during the player’s medical examinations.
Instead, head coach Ronny Deila has completely excluded Nusa from the Genk team due to concerns about the impact that weeks of nonstop speculation may have had on the still-eighteen-year-old forward.
According to Deila, “it’s really been a lot for him the last few days,” the Genk website reports. Therefore, we left him home today. The plan is for him to return on Sunday since he is healthy.
FBL-BEL-CLUB BRUGGE, PROLEAGUE, MECHELEN
Brentford and Tottenham played Talks by Antonio Nusa
Deila’s remarks regarding Nusa’s fitness seem especially relevant in light of the fact that Brentford seemed to back out of a possible £31 million move when they were worried about what was perceived to be a possibly “serious” problem with the teenager’s knee and back.
Prior to competitors from the capital city, Brentford, taking the lead a few days ago, Tottenham had also held negotiations to bring Nusa to North London.
Deila, the former manager of Celtic, is now certain that the so-called “Norwegian Neymar” will show off his brilliant footwork in the blue-and-black stripes until the summer at the latest. A January departure appears to be off the table unless Spurs make an impromptu offer.
Deila continues, “I do occasionally receive an update on the situation,” in an interview with Sportwereld.
“He is our player right now, and I know he’ll be here until the end of the season.” I can’t be unhappy in that regard because that is all I want.
“On Sunday, three days after the window closes, Nusa will be back there.”
Tottenham is the biggest spender of the window thus far.
Timo Werner and Radu Dragusin from RB Leipzig and Genoa, respectively, have already been signed by Tottenham. Although Bournemouth has closed the door on Dominic Solanke, HITC Football is aware that there is still interest in Chelsea captain Conor Gallagher. To sign the free-scoring striker, however, one must be willing to pay at least £60 million.
