Sverre Nypan: Why Man Utd are chasing Rosenborg sensation dubbed the ‘next Martin Odegaard’

• • Where it all began

    Nypan was born in Trondheim, Norway’s third-largest city, in December 2006. He showed an interest in football from a very young age, and after turning five, joined district club Nardo FK, who are situated just a stone’s throw away from Rosenborg’s famed Lerkendal Stadion.

    Success wasn’t immediate for Nypan, though. “I wasn’t any good then. In the first training session, I think I scored an own goal and ran home screaming,” he said in an interview with TV2 in 2022. “It wasn’t fun, but then I was persuaded to try again.”

    With a supportive family around him, Nypan soon overcame those teething problems to emerge as a real prospect over his next eight years with Nardo. As a 14-year-old, he notched a staggering 45 goals in 17 games, which caught the attention of Rosenborg.

    Nypan joined Rosenborg’s youth ranks in 2020 and signed his first professional contract in January 2022, spending the next year combining school lessons with first-team duties at one of Norway’s biggest clubs. Nypan made his Eliteserien debut as he played the full 90 minutes in a 4-2 victory over Jerv that November, which saw him become the youngest player in Rosenborg’s history at just 15 years and 322 days old.

     

    “It was better than I thought. I thought I would be much more nervous,” Nypan said of the experience. He probably would have made his bow much sooner, had it not been for several injury setbacks, but he dealt with each one in a mature fashion. “I got a lot stronger and put on a few kilos during that period,” Nypan added. “It really only helped me. I have become a better player after the injury period than I was before.”

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  The big break

  Comparisons to Odegaard naturally began to spring up after Nypan’s debut, given the Arsenal captain also burst onto the scene at Stromsgodset at the same age, but then-Rosenborg boss Kjetil Rekdal did his best to shut them down. “Sverre is probably bigger and physically stronger at the same time than Martin Odegaard was, but then he was perhaps a different type of player than Sverre, who is an all-rounder,” Rekdal told TV2.

  Nypan missed the first four games of the 2023 campaign, but certainly appeared in top physical shape when he eventually returned to action, and opened his goal account for Rosenborg in a 3-2 defeat to Bodo/Glimt, tapping home at the back post after a swift counter-attack. Rekdal talked up Nypan’s “enormous potential” after the match, with the teenager setting another new record as Rosenborg’s youngest-ever goal-scorer in the Eliteserien.

  When it was put to Nypan that pressure doesn’t seem to affect him, he responded: “What pressure? There is nothing to be afraid of.” That confident attitude, bordering on arrogance, is another hallmark of a potential superstar.

  Nypan would finish his first full league season with five goals, but it was his performance against Hearts in the first leg of Rosenborg’s Conference League third-round qualifier that really made fans across the continent start to take notice. The academy graduate provided both the assists in a huge 2-1 victory.

  His performance left team-mate Emil Frederiksen in awe, as the scorer of Rosenborg’s first goal added: “He is an incredibly skilled player. He has a great future ahead of him. It is only to be enjoyed that he is here, because he is really, really talented.” Hearts ultimately progressed after a 3-1 win in the second leg, but that didn’t deter Nypan from committing to fresh terms at Rosenborg.

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  How it’s going

  After that contract renewal, Rosenborg’s sports manager, Mikael Dorsin, leaned into suggestions that the club had placed a €100 million (£84m/$110m) price tag on Nypan. “That it is at the levels that he is delivering now,” Dorsin said to TV2.

  Nypan has seemingly made it his mission to justify that valuation in the 2024 season. He has racked up 12 goal contributions in 22 appearances, helping Rosenborg rise to fifth in the table with 40 points from 24 games, one more than they managed in the whole of last term.

  Rosenborg are right in the mix for European qualification again, and Nypan has been the driving force behind their improved form. His standout display came in a 4-0 rout of Lillestrom, as he became the first 17-year-old to score a hat-trick in the Eliteserien since a certain Erling Haaland, who achieved the feat for Molde back in 2007.

  The original meeting between the two clubs at Lerkendal was abandoned due to fans hurling objects onto the pitch in protest at a VAR decision, including fishcakes and smoke bombs. As punishment, Rosenborg played the rescheduled game behind closed doors, but some die-hard supporters still showed up to watch from the hill situated just outside the far left corner of the stadium, and Nypan hilariously cupped his hand to his ear to demand more noise from them when celebrating his first goal.

  That natural penchant for showmanship also shone through when Nypan had the opportunity to play against United in a friendly clash during the summer. Rosenborg pulled off a shock 1-0 victory over the Premier League giants and Nypan tormented their defence in his 45 minutes on the pitch; beating four players in one particularly eye-catching sequence before forcing United goalkeeper Radek Vitek into a superb save.

• Biggest strengths

  Nypan typically lines up on the left in a midfield three for Rosenborg, with current manager Alfred Johansson favouring a 4-3-3 system that allows the 17-year-old the freedom to express himself. He’s versatile enough to operate as a deep-lying playmaker, in a box-to-box role, as a winger, or a traditional attacking midfielder, and is equally strong with both feet and adept at finding pockets of space to exploit between the lines.

  Rosenborg have gradually risen back towards the top of the Eliteserien largely due to Nypan’s direct style of play. He boasts a wicked turn of pace and is already an accomplished ball carrier who relishes one-on-one battles.

   

  The Norwegian’s passing range is developing at a rapid rate, and he provides a huge goal threat with his late runs into the box. He’s defensively solid, too, setting the tone for the rest of the team with his relentless pressing.

  It’s still very early to judge Nypan, especially as he’s yet to test himself in one of Europe’s top five leagues, but he has all the makings of a world-class player, including an excellent footballing brain.

• @sverrenypan Instagram

  Room for improvement

  Nypan has already played at international level with Norway’s Under-21s, but to make the step up to the senior stage, some elements of his game still need polishing. His decision-making in the final third is inconsistent; he will often pick the wrong pass or go for goal instead of looking for a team-mate in a better position.

  When it comes to finishing, Nypan can also be guilty of rushing his execution. His scoring numbers are not terrible by any means, but Nypan could potentially double his output if he works to sharpen his shooting skills on the training ground. Technique is not the issue, Nypan just lacks the composure of a more experienced midfielder, which is completely normal at this fledgling stage of his career.

  That weakness also leads Nypan to hold onto the ball for too long. He’s strong and skilful enough to embark on dizzying runs, but must learn to control his impulses and pick his moments better. All of that will come with experience, especially if he gets the chance to work with top-class players at a club like United.

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  The next… Martin Odegaard?

  Similarities have also been drawn between Nypan and Frenkie de Jong – Barcelona’s masterful midfield dictator. Like De Jong, the Rosenborg star is a tenacious tackler and an incisive passer, while they both possess seemingly endless amounts of energy.

  Nypan has the same ability to operate in tight spaces as De Jong, too, but the comparisons to Odegaard are more suitable. De Jong is a traditional No.8 who thrives at keeping the ball circulating and bursting through the lines, but he tends to refrain from pushing into more advanced areas.

  In stark contrast, Odegaard is always looking to jink towards the box and sprinkle his magic. The Arsenal talisman can open up defences in the blink of an eye with a killer pass and he’s capable of scoring goals from all sorts of angles. Nypan is also built that way; he’s more than just a facilitator. It remains to be seen if Nypan’s ceiling is as high as Odegaard’s, but the early signs are promising.

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  What comes next?

  According to TV2, United scouts were present to watch Nypan in Rosenborg’s 1-1 draw with Lillestrom on September 15, which saw the midfielder impress again after returning from a bout of illness. Nypan refused to add any fuel to the transfer rumours after the full-time whistle, but he’s made no secret in the past of his affinity towards the Red Devils.

  “I’ve always been a Manchester United fan,” Nypan told TV2 last year. “Then of course there is Real Madrid. I’m a big [Cristiano] Ronaldo fan. It’s very unrealistic, but it’s the dream.” It doesn’t feel unrealistic anymore, though.

  Nypan is now represented by Rafaela Pimenta, who also serves as Haaland’s agent. Pimenta has a good relationship with United, having brokered the double-transfer that saw Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui join the club from Bayern Munich in the summer window, and may already be working on a deal for Nypan in the background.

  United have a few success stories with Norwegian players already, with Henning Berg and Ronny Johnsen among those to have made a big impact at Old Trafford. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer even managed to achieve legendary status at the club, and if Nypan does get his “dream” move, that’s what he should be aiming for too.

  The Old Trafford faithful haven’t had much to cheer about in recent years, but the development of youngsters like Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo has delivered some hope for the future. Nypan has all the attributes to be next in line.