Sverre Nypan is set to be one of the most coveted players in the January transfer window. Almost every elite European side is said to be interested in him to some degree, and he has reportedly been touring some clubs’ facilities after the end of the Eliteserien season. So, we have taken a look at Nypan to understand what the hype is all about.
By Neel Shelat
Sverre Nypan has been breaking records ever since he made his professional debut. He started his first league match at the end of the 2022 season, becoming the youngest player to ever appear in an official fixture for Rosenborg at the age of 15 years and 322 days. He started to feature much more regularly last year with over 1,500 league minutes under his belt in 2023. The teenage midfielder scored his first goal that year, becoming his side’s youngest-ever scorer.
By then, Nypan was quite well-known to scouts all around the world, but he remained at Rosenborg as an international transfer would be impossible before he turned 18 years old. He went from strength to strength in the 2024 season, registering eight goals and six assists in the Eliteserien to firmly cement himself as the next big thing coming out of Norway.
Playing style and strengths
Although he has yet to play a competitive fixture after turning 18, Nypan has already proven himself to be quite a well-rounded midfielder at senior level. Starting on the left of midfield in Rosenborg’s 4-3-3 formation, he was one of the standouts in a team that finished fourth in the league.
Despite the fact that the youngster’s player radar might suggest that he is a very attack-minded midfielder, it is important to contextualise those numbers. Rosenborg had the third-highest possession average in the league this year, so their midfielders naturally saw much more of the ball and had less defending to do. So, while his defensive numbers may be low, Nypan isn’t necessarily weak defensively.
The most interesting thing to note in that radar is the discrepancy between the amount of touches Nypan gets and his attacking output. There is a simple explanation for this – he likes to position himself in pockets of space ahead of the ball to receive forward passes, after which he either quickly keeps the move ticking with a short pass or uses his exceptional close control to make his way past opponents into even more dangerous positions.
Nypan’s dribbling certainly is one of the most eye-catching aspects of his game, but the consistency of his attacking output might have impressed suitors even more. With 15 league goal involvements in 2024, he made the biggest attacking contribution is his side by some margin.
With the ball at his feet, Nypan showed good vision to pick out creative passes, especially infield. Since he tended to operate quite high up, he did not play too many incisive through balls but did slip in a good few clever short passes through tight spaces.
For all his quality on the ball, though, Nypan’s game really revolves around his outstanding spatial understanding and movement. As previously referenced, he does an excellent job of moving into pockets of space at the right time to receive the ball in the final third – both in central areas or by pulling out wider. He does similarly well with the ball in front of him by perfectly timing his runs into the box to consistently get on the end of quality chances.
While he has shown good control and composure with his right foot when it comes to finishing first-time chances, the teenager could yet improve his left to further add to his goal threat.
Going the other way, Nypan has seemingly worked on the defensive side of his game the most this year. Naturally, when he made his first start as a 15-year-old, he was not at the same physical level as everyone around him. Of course, he is not quite there even now having just turned 18, but his physique has certainly grown. While he is not the strongest in the air, he uses his body quite well to make a nuisance of himself in ground duels.
Nypan is pretty disciplined and hard working in terms of executing his role out of possession too, so the defensive side of his game has to be considered good enough.
Where should Nypan go?
Nypan is reportedly spoilt for choice in terms of his next destination, but he will have to make a careful decision. Of course, he is not the first creative teenage midfield to star in Eliteserien as Martin Ødegaard did the same a decade ago, but his big move did not go so well.
The Rosenborg youngster must look to avoid making the same mistake by going to a side where he can continue to get a decent amount of game time in a role that suits him. The likes of Manchester United and Chelsea – who are both said to be interested in him – do not currently use a 4-3-3 formation with a number eight role, but the advanced midfield roles in their systems could suit Nypan’s attacking strengths.
The biggest decision he will have to make will be choosing between immediately moving to one of Europe’s most elite clubs or going to a team just a tier below like Bayer Leverkusen, Aston Villa or Ajax – where he might get more time and a tad less pressure. Either way, Nypan is certainly one to watch in this transfer window.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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