Crystal Palace were in talks to sign Antonio Nusa from Club Brugge earlier this summer – although the situation has seemingly gone quiet.
Dougie Freedman started negotiations with the Belgian giants over a deal for the Norway international towards the end of June – and was told to pay £25m for his signature, according to Sacha Tavolieri.
However, almost a month has passed with no developments on this saga, until now.
So, what is the latest on Crystal Palace and Antonio Nusa? Let’s take a look…
Why Crystal Palace are yet to proceed with Antonio Nusa deal
A story from The Sun (print version, Sunday 20th July, page 57) now claims that Crystal Palace are worried about the Norwegian’s injury record.
Nusa actually came close to joining Brentford in a £30m deal last January, before the Bees cancelled the move after he failed his medical.
The aforementioned Tavolieri claimed at the time that Club Brugge’s No.32 had a “piece of loose cartilage” floating around in his knee, and also persistent back issues that need managing.
Therefore, Crystal Palace are taking as much time as needed to explore Nusa’s fitness, and make sure that any £25m move will not come back to bite.
What about Emile Smith Rowe?
If Crystal Palace are unsure about making an official bid for Nusa due to injury concerns, then the same question must be asked of Emile Smith Rowe.
A story from Sky Sports claims that Freedman has submitted a bid for the Arsenal No.10 this summer, with the Guardian adding that Crystal Palace are expected to go as high as £35m.
That would see Smith Rowe become our new record signing – surpassing the £27m spent on Christian Benteke in 2016 – although the England international’s fitness record is very worrying.
The man from Croydon – aged 23 – has missed 132 games in total across the last five seasons, spending a total of 609 days on the sidelines through injury.
| Season | Days | Injuries | Games missed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23/24 | 46 days | 2 | 10 |
| 22/23 | 121 days | 1 | 21 |
| 20/21 | 91 days | 1 | 30 |
| 19/20 | 141 days | 2 | 36 |
| 18/19 | 210 days | 4 | 35 |
That should be a point of huge concern for Steve Parish, to say the least.
Contrastingly, Nusa – aged 19 – has only missed 20 games and 87 days through injury, so spending £25m on the Norwegian should be much less of a worry than splashing £35m on Smith Rowe.
READ MORE: Player now admits signing for Crystal Palace was the “biggest regret” of his career
Be sure to keep an eye on developments at Crystal Palace, as negotiations continue in the background.
