2 months ago
32
€12m market value
©IMAGO
Manchester City's summer spending spree has continued, with the extent of the club's recruitment drive now taking them to Norway. The former English champions have confirmed the signing of Rosenborg star Sverre Nypan. The fee is expected to be in the region of €15m million. The 18-year-old midfielder currently has a market value of €12m, making him the most valuable player in the Norwegian top-flight.
Who else wanted to sign Sverre Nypan?
Aston Villa were reportedly leading the race to sign Nypan previously. According to The Athletic, Nypan held talks with the Birmingham club in the winter before deciding to stay put in the Eliteserien. However, Villa had hoped to agree personal terms with the midfielder and strike a deal to sign Nypan this summer. Prior to Villa's interest in the player, Arsenal were also reportedly working on a deal to sign the Rosenborg talent, with an eye on Nypan offering a supporting role to Martin Ødegaard next season as a back-up playmaker in Mikel Arteta's side.
Already with a market value of €12 million, Nypan is regarded as one of the best prospects in Europe, having made his Norwegian league debut in 2022 aged just 15 - only six players have played at a younger age, with Ødegaard being the youngest. In May 2023, Nypan became the youngest player to score in a league match for Rosenborg at just 16 years and 145 days old. So what kind of prospect could Man City be signing? And how high is the ceiling for Nypan? With expert insight from Norway, we attempt to answer those questions.
What type of player is Sverre Nypan?
Remarkably, Nypan has already made over 70 first-team appearances for Rosenborg, and he has an impressive record for a teenage midfielder. In those matches, he has scored 14 goals and provided 11 assists. In the league alone, he has averaged a goal or assist every 178 minutes - a terrific record for a central midfielder. "Nypan is a central/offensive midfielder with an exceptionally high football IQ for his age,” explained Bastian Schmitz, Market Value admin for Norway. “He is two-footed, creative and has a good passing game - many of them are smart passes. He handles the ball well and also has a very good work rate."
At such a young age, Nypan's final position still appears slightly undetermined. He has been used in a variety of roles in Norway as Schmitz reveals; "This season he has been used as a ‘false 9’ and as an attacking midfielder, although the deeper position suits him much better. His body appears to be still growing and he had a few growing problems at the start of the season which made it harder for him to get going. He showed fluctuating performances at that time." According to Transfermarkt's data, Nypan has played 44 games as a central midfielder, seven as a centre-forward and four as an attacking midfielder. And depending on where Pep Guardiola needs reinforcements in his team, his future development could come down to where Man City need him to fill in for their squads in the Premier League.
Haaland, Ødegaard and now Nypan?
While few Premier League fans will know much about the young midfielder, it will come as no surprise to see no less than three English giants tripping over one another to sign another prospect from Norway. In recent years, the Scandinavian country has become a hotbed of excellent players and that is perfectly showcased throughout the English top-flight. Whether it be Sander Berge at Fulham, Wolves forward Jørgen Strand Larsen, the aforementioned Ødegaard at Arsenal or Man City talisman Erling Haaland, Nypan seems to be coming from a growing stock of top-class players from Norway.
