With the Championship starting this weekend, West Ham are trying to arrange a deal for Reiss Nelson in time for their fixture at Burnley.
The Hammers are trying to call Arsenal’s bluff, refusing to pay a fee because they know that, in the past, the Gunners will eventually loan out a talent or even rip up a contract if it means reducing their wage bill.
This game of poker could last until the end of August to see who blinks first.
Andrea Berta doesn’t hold many cards, with the player allowed to leave for nothing in 12 months. The Italian might even be receptive to a loan if the Irons cover the majority of his salary.
Our Director of Football could even trigger another year on the contract to protect his value, with an obligation or option potentially added to any loan.
While that would allow Reiss Nelson the chance to stay in London, it’s believed he has reservations about dropping out of the top flight.
If true, a loved one needs to have a heart-to-heart with the 26-year-old and maybe even give him some hard truths.
Nelson needs to think about his career
His career at the Emirates has been on life support for a while now, with the attacker aware that, if his employers had their way, he would have left North London a while ago.
At this point, he’s been sent out to four different clubs and, while he’s been unlucky with injuries, at no point has he convinced Mikel Arteta that he deserves to be involved in our first team consistently.
His agent deserves a pay rise for getting his client £100,000 a week. Since then, our academy graduate has acted like a competition winner, grateful to be paid to play for the team he loves but terrified they will eventually find out he has zero business at this level.
He knows the moment his contract expires, no one else will be paying that salary.
While not many voluntarily take a pay cut, friends or family need to ask him: what is more important to him?
He’s in danger of wasting his career.
Because this is no longer a youngster with a bright future. This is a man closer to 30 than 20, yet he’s only started 15 Premiership games since his debut eight years ago!
He might not want to hear this, but maybe the second tier of English football is where he belongs?
Is it time for Reiss to let go?
All supporters want one of their own to make it and, because he’s from Hale End, I think he’s been given opportunities that others wouldn’t have, with Gooners less harsh than they would have been with others.
We did the same with Maitland-Niles and Eddie Nketiah, and Lewis-Skelly could be next.
When an Ozil refused loans and transfers, he was called greedy for wanting to respect the contract he was given.
What’s the difference if Reiss Nelson rejects a move across the English capital?
For himself… he needs to start again.
Dan Smith
Do you agree with Dan? Is it time for Reiss Nelson to accept that his Arsenal career is over and prioritise regular football, even if that means dropping down a division? Or is he entitled to wait for the right opportunity? Let us know in the comments.
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Yes
Don’t know what he’s thinking. He’s been given years to prove whether or not he can make it. So far, all we’ve seen is flashes that there is some ability but not enough to convince anyone that he could be a valuable asset. Soone or later the club is going to let him go, and it would probably be in his best interests to get regular football elsewhere.
Agreed. I think his injuries made him slower
I want to thank Reiss Nelson for the part he played in that Boumeounth classic.
The Spaniard won’t lose much sleep in moving on Nelson, It will be different with Gabriel Martineli ,.
Though recent transfer interest from clubs like Galatassaray shows his future is occasionally questioned, the Brazilian join Arsenal shortly before Arteta arrive, but it is his early buy in and work rate help set the foundation for Arteta’s project, in all my professional work life , the heart just don’t forget things like this.
I remember the kid once said , I just needs a pen to sign on the dotted lines.
As I’ve said in previous post’s I remember seeing Nelson play for the under 21’s, that shows you how long he’s been at the club.
He showed a lot of promise in the under 21’s, but if were honest he’s been a player who’s had moments at Arsenal. The most obvious one being the late winner versus Bournemouth a couple of seasons ago.
The thing that really gets me is why Arsenal ever offered Nelson his most resent contract. He was supposedly meant to be cover for Saka, but started the two League Cup games that season. Scoring in the 1-0 win away to Brentford, there we go again,(Moments). He then played in the defeat to West Ham in the next round.
He then played here and there regards the League. But Arteta clearly had no trust in him, as Saka barely got the rest needed for Nelson to be his cover. So, I ask the question why did he get a new contract.
Now I know the academy is a hot topic right now regards the likes of Nwaneri and Skelly and the like. But in this case it is time to sell him. He’s had more than enough loans and chances, and it’s clear to see that Arteta clearly has no trust in him.
Maybe a permanent move to a club could be the making of him, but it clearly isn’t at Arsenal is it.
I think it is probably time for Nelson to realise that the championship might be his level. Surely he would prefer to play regularly for a championship club rather than a bit part in the premiership albeit at lower salary. Also, other players might want to switch to his agent given the last deal he got with us. Who on earth sanctioned his £100,000 a week salary.
I remember asking the same question about Nketiah who I think got a similar rise at a similar time. Someone talked about it actually works in favour of the club(?) and the level of transfer fee in the future. Beats me, but Palace overpaid for Nketiah imo and Nelson isn’t going to attract that figure by any stretch of the imagination
So yes his Arsenal future is definitely over and he surely knows that. We have lifted the ceiling too high for him now.
I don’t necessarily think that he’s not good enough for the PL though. I am sure he could do a job at a mid to lowers PL side. Apparently also some Spanish teams sniffing around as well.
His career was over a few years back. He had tha tone standout moment with the last minute goal
But he has proven he can’t cut it whilst on loan injuries aside. So he certainly shouldn’t be at Arsenal moving forward
Nothing against him and hope we can sell him to get some monies back and gor his career to hopefully move forward