Andrew Mangan, the host of the Arsecast Extra podcast, has been discussing the future of Reiss Nelson during a recent episode.
The 20-year-old was not part of the Arsenal squad that won at Fulham so convincingly on Saturday. The Gunners ran out 3-0 winners at Craven Cottage thanks to goals from Alexandre Lacazette, Gabriel and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Nelson returned from a loan spell with Bundesliga side Hoffenheim in June 2019 and went on to make 24 appearances, scoring three goals and providing his teammates with three assists during the 2019/20 season.
Arsenal signed Willian from Chelsea in August, and with the club having made such a significant investment in Nicolas Pepe as recently as last summer, Mangan fears Nelson may have to move on in order to get the football needed to further his development.
“I have a feeling that Reiss Nelson will go on loan, at least. Willian is playing from the right-hand side, Pepe plays from the right-hand side. We know Reiss Nelson can play a bit from the left – and did play a bit from the left with Hoffenheim during his loan.
“But as we’ve spoken about, you’ve got Aubameyang there, you’ve got [Bukayo] Saka there, you’ve got [Gabriel] Martinelli there, so I have a feeling that Nelson could be somebody who goes out on loan for the duration of the season. He could be one of the loan departures and I think, potentially, if there is an offer that’s good enough we might consider it for a sale as well.”
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TIF Thoughts…
Given the options Mikel Arteta has at his disposal, it could be argued that Nelson, who is valued at £11.25 million (as per Transfermarkt), would be better off elsewhere, however, it remains to be seen whether a loan or permanent move away would be the best solution for all parties.
Nelson’s average performance rating in the Premier League last season was 6.4/10 according to WhoScored.com – which isn’t particularly eye-catching – however, he was rated at an average of 7.55/10 for his Europa League performances last year, which would suggest the player has plenty to offer should another club wish to take a chance on him.