Arsenal given hope in their chase of RB Leipzig winger Antonio Nusa following revelations of the club's need to sell

Antonio Nusa is of interest to Arsenal. football.london understands, however, that RB Leipzig do not wish to part company with the Norwegian winger. The club were firm on their position that he was not for sale in the summer.

football.london were told that Nusa would be a Leipzig player this season and that the last window had brought about no new developments. Since then, Nusa’s profile has risen further, with a strong start to the new campaign.

He has four goals and seven assists in nine Bundesliga games and scored against Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League. Arsenal want to sign a forward this winter; however, a move for Nusa looks near-impossible in January.

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Should Arsenal wait for the summer, they could yet have a better chance. Not only would a summer exit be more reasonable for the German side, but it is understood that it could even be necessary.

Leipzig currently sit fourth in the Bundesliga on 18 points, two ahead of Bayer Leverkusen in fifth and three ahead of Werder Bremen in sixth. Bayern Munich (21), Borussia Dortmund (21), and Freiburg (19) are ahead.

Unlike in the Premier League, it is the top four which qualify for the Champions League. According to Sky German reporter Philipp Hinze, Leipzig will have to generate €100million (£83.5million) even if they do get back into Europe’s elite competition, and therefore missing out on it will put even more financial strain on things.

Leipzig have sold very well in recent years, with big profits on the likes of Yan Diomande, Lois Openda, Benjamin Sesko, Xavi Simons and Dani Olmo. However, the bulk of their income does indeed come from player trading as opposed to commercial revenue.

Under UEFA’s financial fair play rules, Leipzig there have to continue to make money through player sales. A sale of Nusa therefore becomes more likely if Leipzig miss out on the Champions League and, additionally, if they fail to reach the knockout rounds, but even if they do, Arsenal could be handed a good chance of convincing them to sell.

Nusa has no release clause, and so any fee would need to be negotiated football.london understands.