Eddie Nketiah was handed the opportunity to head Arsenal’s attack towards the close of last season, and boy did he take it, scoring 5 goals in Arsenal’s final 8 games of the season (scoring a brace against Chelsea and Leeds, then a goal against Everton on the last match day of 2021-22).
Nketiah, who was set to become a free agent in the summer of 2022, manoeuvred himself into a £100,000-per-week contract. Could this be Reis Nelson’s situation as well? He, like Nketiah was last season, has a contract expiring this summer, and Arsenal are unsure whether to extend it or not, but performances like the one he put in from the bench on Saturday evening, producing an assist a minute after coming on, and scoring a 97th-minute winner in a 3-2 comeback win, should certainly persuade Arteta to keep him.
Nelson has an opportunity to make a major impact for Arsenal after favourably contributing to his team’s victory over a spirited Bournemouth. “I always saw the potential,” Arteta said after the game.
“The talent and the desire for him to do it, but he’s at a different level right now. I think emotionally, the experiences that he had helped him.
“Football-wise, it was my decision in the last two games not to play him because we had other options.
“But he was knocking on the door, he’s been training really good, and it’s a good lesson for me and for the coaches that we need him and that he can be really important for the team.”
With 12 games to go, Nelson has a chance to change his future like Eddie Nketiah did; the question is, “Will he take his chances?”
Personally I would get him to sign right now, before any other suitors start knocking on his door. When fit he is an excellent team player, and a Gooner through and through.
Sign him up now Mikel!
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Had he not got injured, I believe Arsenal wouldn’t have signed Trossard. If our medical team are sure he won’t get recurring injuries, Arsenal had better offer him a new contract as soon as possible
Nelson has shown great signs of maturity. In just 3 games he’s got 3 goals and 2 assists. These are better statistics than one could have imagined. His impact is enormous. He should continue to work hard and receive minutes to accompany us through these trying times.
Credit to Artteta for believing in him at a moment no one imagined this could happen.
Bournemouth was the tougheest game of the season.
Our defense was poorly prepared for the game; everyone was too focused on attacking. Zinchenko was too far away from the action for the first goal. It would have been better to play him at midfiield with Partey and Tierney at left back.
Some players are much more effective off the bench – I hope he’s one who is great from the start and happens to also be great from the bench, but either way, he has value.
He definitely deserves a new contract, but he hasn’t proved he’s good enough for the long term still imo – just taken a couple of big strides in the right direction!
As with every player, consistency is the key – he hasn’t had the chance to prove he can be consistent yet, but he does deserve that chance.
Reiss Nelson deserves a contract extension based on what he did against Forest and Bournemouth alone. He is very talented, loyal and determined. His injury record will improve as season goes. Keep the home boys together. This is the Arsenal way.
Reiss Nelson is a great squad player. Give him a new contract.
100% agree. And given yesterday’s game (or his brace just before injury), he might even become way more than a squad player. Whatever happens, we need to sign him. Glad we did not get Mudryk at the end. A guy who did not even know the club. Who learned in a plane that Chelsea got UCL. No way. Even in the case of becoming CR7 he might have had his head turned again in a few years by real or Bayern
He’ll definitely get a new contract but not because of his goal against the Cherries.all you have to do is hear how MA talks about him.not only that, according to MA,Reiss came back from his loan spell a different& better,more mature person/player.as for Nelson,he recently said that Arsenal was his club,his whole life!!
Can’t be any cleared,can he?
He’s a very good squad player. Hope we keep him
One converted cross and one goal does not get you a contract. Nelson will have time to prove himself from now. Will he?