It was a big surprise when Arsenal sent Reiss Nelson out on loan to to the Bundesliga club Hoffenheim at the end of the transfer rwindow, but we were reassured by the fact that he signed a new three-year contract before moving to Germany. Unai Emery obviously knew that it would be hard for him to break into the Arsenal first team this season but with a good season in the German top tier he could return to us with a much better chance of playing and with much wider experience.
This has proved to be a very good move so far and he has scored two goals in his three games for Hoffenheim so far, and last night he scored again in his debut for the England U21s, and he has been encouraged by Gareth Southgate that he could son join the full senior side. The 18-year-old said after the 7-0 win over Andorra. “Gareth has made it clear that the pathway is there so if you’re young and you’re good he’ll give you a chance,”
“It’s good for me that I came through the ranks, I came from U16s all the way up to U21s.
“I’m trying to get in there and do my magic. A little bit showed today and I’m very happy to be there.”
And he also reaasured the fans that his biggest aim is to make the grade at Arsenal, and his spell in Germany is only a stepping stone to career at the Emirates. “Arsenal is my boyhood club, they’re a big part of my life. At the end of the day I’m at an age where I want to play football and Hoffenheim is where that [chance] was. I had to get up and be strong, be independent and take my chance in Germany.
“I’m just here to play my football in Germany. Hopefully I’ll come back in a couple of months – if it’s a year so be it – ready to play in Arsenal’s first team.”
If he carries on the way he’s going there is no reason why he can’t go right to the top of his profession…
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