%20rotate(-8.06)%22%2F%3E%0A%20%20%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22cls-1%22%20points%3D%22336.19%20136.81%20330.16%2094.25%20326.06%2071.19%20326.44%2071.13%20335.22%2093.54%20352.29%20134.52%20373.95%20131.46%20362.7%2052.01%20350.02%2053.8%20356.05%2096.36%20360.15%20119.42%20359.77%20119.48%20350.99%2097.08%20333.91%2056.09%20312.25%2059.15%20323.51%20138.6%20336.19%20136.81%22%2F%3E%0A%20%20%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22cls-1%22%20points%3D%22402.91%2059.3%20412.36%20126.02%20427.17%20123.92%20417.72%2057.21%20431.59%2055.24%20429.79%2042.51%20387.23%2048.53%20389.04%2061.27%20402.91%2059.3%22%2F%3E%0A%20%20%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22cls-1%22%20points%3D%22463.51%20118.77%20458.69%2084.71%20474.68%2082.44%20479.51%20116.5%20494.36%20114.4%20483.11%2034.95%20468.26%2037.06%20472.96%2070.25%20456.96%2072.52%20452.26%2039.32%20437.4%2041.43%20448.65%20120.88%20463.51%20118.77%22%2F%3E%0A%20%20%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22cls-1%22%20points%3D%22540.5%20107.87%20538.77%2095.68%20518.91%2098.49%20515.77%2076.29%20535.63%2073.47%20533.93%2061.5%20514.07%2064.32%20511.11%2043.42%20530.98%2040.61%20529.25%2028.42%20494.53%2033.34%20505.78%20112.78%20540.5%20107.87%22%2F%3E%0A%20%20%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22cls-1%22%20points%3D%22299.03%20155.17%20301.29%20171.58%20542.78%20138.39%20540.5%20121.97%20299.03%20155.17%22%2F%3E%0A%3C%2Fsvg%3E)
Arsenal look poised to be pipped by Aston Villa to the signing of Norwegian midfield starlet Sverre Nypan having made a strong effort to acquire the teenager.
The Gunners were one of several clubs who pursued Nypan in January, although it became clear that the precocious Rosenborg sensation would take time to mull over his future and eventually make his move in the summer.
Nypan's meteoric talent has become abundantly clear in Norway, with many regarding him as the next star of a mightily exciting generation of Norwegian talent. He joined Rosenborg in 2022, and became the seventh-youngest player to ever play in the Eliteserien. Arsenal skipper Martin Odegaard remains the youngest.
The midfielder's swift rise garnered the attention of several Premier League clubs, who were asked to wait patiently over the winter while Nypan made a decision, and it seems like Arsenal are going to miss out.
Arsenal set to miss out on Sverre Nypan to Aston Villa
It looks like there will be a three-way transfer race in the Premier League to sign Rosenborg midfielder Sverre Nypan in the summer
— Transfermarkt.co.uk (@TMuk_news) April 16, 2025
The question is... can he break into the top 10 most expensive Norwegian signings ever? 😮 pic.twitter.com/trjL07llAb
The Athletic's David Ornstein reports that Aston Villa are working to wrap up a deal for the 18-year-old. Ornstein writes that the Villans are "optimistic" over their chances of signing Nypan, who's said to be "enthusiastic" over a potential move to Villa Park.
However, an agreement with player and club is yet to be reached.
So, there's still a chance for Arsenal to sneak in and sign Nypan, even if Ornstein believes his transfer is low down on the list of priorities for the Gunners this summer. “Sverre Nypan wasn’t being targeted because Arsenal absolutely needed him as an immediate midfield option," the journalist wrote (via afcstuff).
"He was more of a market opportunity for a young talent, the likes of which you could say they need to be better at recruiting.”
Nypan has drawn fairly lazy comparisons to Odegaard, but the 18-year-old, who's already played over 60 times for Rosenborg, is cut from a slightly different cloth. He's arguably more rounded than the Arsenal captain, and more tricky to profile in the middle of the park. Nypan could blossom into a number ten or a box-to-box as his career progresses.
Arsenal are in need of midfield reinforcements this summer, with Jorginho and Thomas Partey still likely to depart as free agents in June. Nypan was not seen as a talent capable of filling the void right away, so it's not a case of the club needing to pivot to alternatives if he does join Villa.