Report: Expert claims Spurs want to sign youngster before his value skyrockets

Belgian publication Het Belang van Limburg has spoken to Kim Lagae, a sports economist at KU Leuven, about why Tottenham Hotspur are willing to spend...

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Belgian publication Het Belang van Limburg has spoken to Kim Lagae, a sports economist at KU Leuven, about why Tottenham Hotspur are willing to spend a big fee on Club Brugge sensation Antonio Nusa.

It has been widely reported over the last few days that Spurs are in talks with Brugge over a £26m deal to sign Nusa, with the winger expected to be loaned back to the Belgian club until the summer if the deal is agreed (The Athletic).

Various sources have claimed over the last 24 hours that the Lilywhites are keen to complete a deal swiftly within the next couple of days as they fear that other clubs would also enter the race for the 18-year-old (Fabrizio Romano – YouTube channel).

Tottenham want to sign Nusa before his value explodes

Nusa is undoubtedly a very exciting talent, with many at Brugge as well as in Norwegian football, having high hopes for the teenager.

However, £26m may still seem like a steep price to pay for a player, who only has a little over a year of senior football under his belt in the Belgian top flight, and whose numbers in the final third are quite ordinary.

Lagae has now said that Tottenham are paying for Nusa’s potential, explaining that while Ange Postecoglou’s men know that the signing would be a gamble, they fear that the youngster would become too expensive for them within the next six months.

The sports economist told Het Belang van Limburg (as relayed by Sport Witness): “Clubs are willing to pay for a player’s potential. Nusa is worth 17 million euros, according to the specialized website Transfermarkt, but scouts estimate that this will increase in the future. That is why clubs take the gamble, just as investors do with growth shares.

“It is risky business: there are no guarantees that there will not be an overvaluation. If the clubs do not strike now for someone like Nusa, they fear that he will become unaffordable in the short term. It is inherent to the sport: you have to be quick. What also drives up the price is the high competition. Every club wants to buy Nusa.”

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There is always an element of gamble in signing young, up-and-coming players but the Tottenham recruitment department are seemingly relatively confident that Nusa is on the verge of exploding onto the big stage, which is why they want to strike a deal before the race for his signature heats up.

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