Brighton, Villa and West Ham lead race to sign Arsenal’s Reiss Nelson

Reiss Nelson, out of contract in the summer, appears set for the European stage next term — even if he leaves the Gunners.

A string of top teams have the 23-year-old firmly on their radar if he doesn’t pen a new deal at The Emirates. Aston Villa, Brighton & Hove Albion and West Ham United are reportedly the favourites to secure his signature.

Both Villa and Brighton are chasing a berth in Europe as the Premier League fast approaches a frantic finale. West Ham, although in the relegation mix, have stormed into the Europa Conference League semi-finals.

Those who fancy the Hammers to lift the Europa Conference League trophy inside Prague’s Fortuna Arena should check out their latest odds. The latest aussiebet.com reviews rate Bet365 at the top of their pile for sport bookmakers, and they have West Ham joint favourites as a 2/1 shot to triumph in the Final.

The London club first have to tackle a semi-final showdown with Dutch outfit AZ Zaanstreek (3/1), with the winners set to face either Swiss side Basel (4/1) or Italian outfit Fiorentina (2/1) in June.

An exit from the club that Nelson’s been with since the age of nine is on the cards, and he would surely be attracted by European champions.

The London-born winger is out of contract in the summer, with a plethora of clubs clamouring to table him an offer including relegation-threatened Everton and Southampton.

Nelson’s played a bit-part for Arsenal, having only made 60 appearances. Head coach Mikel Arteta loaned him out to leading sides in Germany and the Netherlands to get some game time.

He needs to be playing regularly to progress his career. Unless Arteta can guarantee him that next season, then a free transfer seems best.

Arteta’s already eyeing up Crystal Palace ace Wilfried Zaha — soon to be a free agent — as a like-for-like replacement for Nelson, to add more firepower. Arsenal almost signed Zaha four years ago but opted for Nicolas Pepe from Lille, another Ivory Coast striker, who is currently back in France on loan with Nice.

Nice are also keen on Reiss, who made his Arsenal debut as a 17-year-old in 2016. He would be a snip for most clubs, who should be able to improve on his current £35,000-a-week deal at The Emirates.

West Ham appear to be in pole position for Nelson’s signature as he’s settled in London. The tricky winger would add competition for Said Benrahma and Jarrod Bowen to bolster David Moyes’ squad.

The Hammers won’t want to splash the cash like they did last summer as they have struggled in the league, so a cautious approach by bringing in out-of-contract players is likely to be favoured.

Veteran striker Michail Antonio would become a new team-mate if Nelson moved across the capital to ply his trade at the London Stadium. Antonio’s been part of the Jamaica set-up since 2021.

Nelson strongly features in the current rumours swirling around the Caribbean island about which English-based players will soon pledge their allegiance to Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz.

Having represented England youth teams up to U21 and previously expressed his ambition to play for the Three Lions, his career has surprisingly stalled. To get back on track he needs to make a move to a club that will utilise his silky skills.

Although West Ham would only be back in European competition if they win this season’s Europa Conference League, in-form clubs Villa and Brighton are knocking on the door of European qualification.

If either side earns a Europa League spot they would bring in reinforcements, with Nelson high on their respective lists of potential new players.

Villa, whose last foray in the Europa League was during the 2010-11 season, have been resurgent under ex-Arsenal head coach Unai Emery.

The 51-year-old Spaniard, familiar with Nelson during his stint at The Emirates in 2018/19, will be keen to boost his squad as Brazilian Philippe Coutinho is expected to exit.

If Nelson opted to be reunited with Emery then he would play alongside striker Leon Bailey, who could potentially be his team-mate for Jamaica.

Brighton, flying under Italian head coach Roberto De Zerbi, are always on the lookout for bringing through potential talent. Nelson fits the bill as a replacement for Argentina World Cup winner Alex Mac Allister, who has Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool ready to swoop for his signature.

Nelson is a wanted man, at both club and international level, but his next move is crucial to ensuring a successful career.

Tags Reiss Nelson

1 Comment

  1. Hope MA can persuade RN to stay. I rate this guy not only as a winger but also as a box to box midfielder (a bit similar to Ramsey and Joe Willock).

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