Aston Villa close to signing double record-breaking wonderkid following 'heavy' Arsenal pursuit

Aston Villa are reportedly closing in on the signing of Norway wonderkid Sverre Nypan, swooping in ahead of Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City.

The Villans have been tracking Nypan, one of Europe’s most promising midfield prospects, for over 12 months and now look set to secure their man ahead of a host of Premier League rivals.

Norway have seen some huge talents emerge over recent years - including Erling Haaland, Martin Odegaard and Antonio Nusa - and now Nypan is being spoken about in the same breath. The 18-year-old has become a star player for Rosenborg - historically the most successful team in Norwegian football - and is nearing a senior Norway call-up following five appearances for his nation’s under-21 side.

Nypan wasn’t quite young enough on his Rosenborg debut to displace Odegaard as the youngest player in Eliteserien history, but his rapid adaptation and progression has been no less impressive. The teenager made his Rosenborg bow aged just 15 and he has already racked up 62 appearances, 14 goals and 11 assists, totalling over 4,000 senior minutes. In fact, he remains both the youngest debutant and youngest scorer in Rosenborg history.

Spoken to in January by Villa, Arsenal, Liverpool, Man City, Man Utd, Girona, Borussia Dortmund and several other top clubs, Nypan is one of the most in-demand prospects in Europe. The midfielder’s decision was expected to be made in the summer - and it still is to an extent - but there’s reportedly been significant progress in talks.

The Athletic reports Villa are in advanced talks to sign Nypan and are hopeful of completing a deal. The midfielder is said to have shown great enthusiasm over a move to Villa Park but personal terms are yet to be agreed. A fee is yet to be sorted with Rosenborg, either, but it’s hoped the formalities can be ironed out sooner rather than later.

The report suggests Arsenal held “heavy talks” with Nypan and Rosenborg but have been unable to strike a breakthrough. The Gunners could yet hijack Villa’s swoop as it’s far from complete, but the initial signs are Nypan will make the move to the West Midlands instead.

How would Sverre Nypan fit in at Aston Villa?

Predominantly a central midfielder but also capable of playing as a number 10 or even as a centre-forward, Nypan is versatile and could be utilised in a variety of ways by Villa boss Unai Emery.

Nypan is a well-rounded midfielder, perhaps even more so than Odegaard who operates solely as a number eight for Arsenal. The teenager is a strong passer, has good spacial awareness, is able to beat an opponent on the half turn and often arrives late in the box to score goals.

It would be very difficult to displace the likes of Youri Tielemans and Boubacar Kamara in the starting XI, but Nypan could perhaps initially rotate in for the FA Cup, Carabao Cup and European fixtures while he beds in. An experiment could perhaps take place with him as a wide midfielder drifting in, too, just how John McGinn so often does.

Regardless of whether he can make an immediate impact, Nypan has the potential to become a key player for Villa and Emery, so good at working with youngsters, is bound to have a plan to get the most out of him.