"My phone exploded after the game" - Teenage star opens up on interest from Chelsea, reveals club offered 'a lot of money' for a potential transfer

Club Brugge forward Antonio Nusa has revealed that Chelsea made a last-ditch attempt to sign him on deadline day this summer. The Norwegian forward stated that the Blues contacted him, offering a great sum of money to convince him to move to Stamford Bridge.

Nusa told TV2 (as quoted by GOAL):

“I didn’t know about it. I saw there was a lot of stuff on my phone. My phone exploded after the game. Then I wondered what happened. Then I realized. I already knew that it wasn’t going to happen but then the money came on the table. Then it’s seen in a slightly different way."

"We had to have another conversation when the money arrived but we were on the same page, so there was no problem there. I knew what to do anyway, so it was fine."

When specifically asked about the offer from Chelsea, the Norwegian replied:

“That’s a lot of money. A lot of money. But I try not to think about it so much. I can’t focus on that, you know. I don’t think it’s good for me."

Insisting that he wants to join a club where he can develop as a player and that his motivations are not solely driven by money, Nusa concluded:

“We are talking about very big clubs and that’s where you dream of being in the future. I try not to think about money at all. There’s a lot of money in football, so that’s not what’s on my mind. It’s where I can develop best and become as good as possible.”

Chelsea were in the market for an attacker this summer following the departures of Kai Havertz, Mason Mount, and Romelu Lukaku (on loan). The Blues reportedly made a €30 million bid to secure Nusa's services. However, Chelsea were unable to sign the Norwegian forward this summer.

"We are confident" - Ben Chilwell sends encouraging message amid criticism over Chelsea's form

Chelsea have had a dismal start to the 2023-24 campaign in the English top tier. The Blues find themselves in 12th place, where they finished last season after four Premier League encounters.

Mauricio Pochettino's side have suffered two losses while securing one win and one draw in the English top flight this season. This has led to criticism over the club's poor form under the Argentine manager after spending nearly £1 billion since Todd Boehly's takeover last summer.

Despite such criticism, Chelsea defender Ben Chilwell has ushered to the manager's defense and insists that they can turn their form around this campaign. The England international said while on international duty (as quoted by GOAL):

"It is such a young and new squad. It’s inexperienced in a way. There’s a new manager trying to impart his ideas and it is down to me and Reece [James, captain] to take on responsibility and be leaders in the group and guide the ship a little bit."

The former Leicester City star added:

"Especially in the last few weeks in what could be seen as a bit of a tough time. I kind of just try to guide the ship through that, stay confident and know what talent we have in the squad. We are confident and also have a great manager. We are very aware [of what’s wrong] but confident we can turn it around very quickly."