Believe It or not, out of all the prospects to graduate to our first team from Hale End, Reiss Nelson had the biggest reputation. Yes, that includes Bukayo Saka.
Two years younger, Saka has played for Arsenal in the League 123 times scoring 27 times.
Nelson has just 26 games (4 goals) with the majority of his career starts on loan in Germany and Holland.
While Saka represented England at the World Cup, Nelson continues to battle to even be on our bench. His manager admitting it’s purely been footballing reasons why he’s not made recent squads
Considering coaches can name 9 subs that takes some doing.
When Trossard went off injured Arteta’s preference was to bring on Smith Rowe, a player he would later claim he knew would struggle to complete 70 minutes.
In other words the Spaniard had more faith in someone not fully fit.
Let’s be honest there’s hardly been a protest from Gooners for Nelson to feature more or even be on the bench.
Nelson has been the forgotten man for years now.
He had a successful loan period in Feyenoord but injuries meant he’s never been able to carry over the momentum on his return to North London.
While in Holland and Germany his fitness was questioned by those he worked with, something that’s been a question mark under the current regime. Does the 23 year old have the conditioning to play Arteta’s style every week?
Another question mark is; has Nelson done enough to warrant a new contract which expires in the summer?
Based on his body of work since his debut in 2017 you would honestly say no.
He’s missed so much football that it might benefit him to go elsewhere and play every week.
Of course he can’t get a new deal based on one solo strike vs Bournemouth (although Eddie Nketiah’s agent will give it a try).
There are pundits though who after this weekend are predicting ‘his career will now change’.
Sometimes luck and timing are everything.
The midfielder’s cameo at the weekend , an assist and goal will most likely see him trusted to start in Portugal on Thursday.
Play well then and suddenly he’s a serious option for the run in.
If he doesn’t seize the moment then it’s likely he leaves the Emirates a free agent.
Whatever happens though no one can take Saturday away from him.
If we become Champions, it’s a moment that will last forever, something that will be shown in montages throughout our history.
He will be immortalised.
Like Christopher Wreh in 98, Parlour and Edu in 2004, every title winning squad needs that one player who comes out of nowhere and contributes.
At the club since the age of 9, this Saturday will have meant the world to Reiss Nelson.
Is it the start of something?
Would you offer Reiss Nelson a new contract right now?
Dan
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He deserves a new contract, because:
– He saved us twice this season and he’s a Hale End product. I bet Nketiah, Smith-Rowe and Saka would click better with him than with other attackers in the field, because they’ve been playing together for many years
– His age and skills make him a perfect competitor for Martinelli in the left wing position. Trossard is way more experienced and not as injury-prone, but Trossard would likely become much slower four years later
– He has an adept weaker foot and is better than Smith-Rowe in the tight spaces on our left wing
If our medical team are sure he won’t get recurring injuries, Arsenal had better offer him a new contract as soon as possible
Did he save us against Forrest ?
I’d better revise that, but he secured our lead against Nott’m Forrest with his two goals
I thought we won that match convincingly 5-0. If Arsenal give him a renewed contract, it will be to sell him at a later date. Either way, it’s a win win situation for both parties. Off Topic: The Football Association are investigating Arsenal’s end of match celebrations after the Bournemouth match at the Emirates. Apparently the referee wrote out a report. Yet the Premier League posted it on their Web Site and social media as a good thing. I wonder if the FA investigate Fernandes for man handling a linesman
Players are players who shine when given opportunity to exhibit talents and finesse. So is Reiss Nelson. Nketiah was like that, always in bench until given limelight upon injuries striken Gabriel Jesus left the seen and Nketiah came in as a replacement. The rest is history. We are where we are cause of Nketiah. I would definitely give Nelson a contract sooner than the summer. He has always come on as a sub but delivers Everytime. He scored against spurs and Chelsea. What else does one want from him?!!!
And I remember him scoring against Liverpool when we (shockingly) beat them. How often can we say that over the past 5 years?
It’s not based on one performance. It’s based on a goal contribution every 17 minutes this season. Based on showing enough in training to be selected.
He’s earned a new contract, another year to prove himself. If he doesn’t kick on, we can sell in 2024 rather than lose him for nothing.
Well no you judge him on his last contract
Since 2017 he hasn’t been scoring/assuring every 17 minuites
Hmmm, pretty sure you don’t measure form over 5 years, especially with kids.
A new contract makes absolute.sense even if they sell him in a year. Why waste all that time and investment for 14 years to let gin leave for free…that’s the business side
On the pure footballing side he can hopefully now take his chance. …fingers crossed no more injuries for him
Always been a fan of Nelson but never showed his true potential
A year away last season has done him a world of good as well us. We need to have good squad players who are willing to fight for the team and place when called upon on
I am sure they will offer but really depends on what we offer and what he will accept
Hes in a decent position right now as out of contract at the end of the season and will have a few clubs lining up for his signature
If we go on to lift the league and he goes his goal will still surely go down as one of the most memorable in the 22/23 campaign.
Onwards and upwards
For God’s sake. He is 23, a Hale Ender and has so much potential still. He terrorised Bournemouth, not even counting a great goal. If he is happy being in a squad that next season could have 60 games, of f’ing course we should sign him. Why sell such a quality, YOUNG, player? Absurd. Keep Reis’s. He will get games next campaign.
We gave elnenny a contract extension based on an injury why should we not do the same on a hale end product who has saved us a couple of points and is only being held back by injuries?besides a replacement will cost us more than 50 million pounds with no guarantee of success I say we keep him and balogun there will be lots of games to play next season.
For those contemplating letting a promising young talent who plays for us on the right wing like Nelson go for free because he hasn’t convinced, just remember Serge Gnabry.
I’d let him(Reiss Nelson) sign another contract, the boy is good all he needs is game time. One can see his control of the ball with both feet. And he looks deadly in front of goals, they came from the second strike on his left foot. Before the goal he realised another strike on his right foot, both were deadly.
Nelson Reiss, is a good player and he plays very well, what he did on the last game, that’s the process as a good one.
And I think that the Arsenal board aren’t doing it ’cause he played well, no, because he is a good one and we still need him for many years in Arsenal team
He’s worth a new deal (I suppose), but not on crazy money. If Reiss will settle for something in the £50K per week region then he’d make a valuable squad member (when fit), which makes me wonder why he’s in a position where he could just leave and choose another more suitable club.
Was Arsenal about to let him go?
I think this season was always going to be make or break for him. As I understand it, we could have moved him on last summer, but his attitude convinced arteta to give him a chance to earn a new contract this year.
To my mind, he’s grabbed his opportunities as much as he realistically could, given the injury, but i agree, I wouldn’t be offering him a really big contract just yet – he still has to prove he can play well consistently. He just hasn’t had the chance yet due to injuries and circumstance. If he can keep playing like he did against Bournemouth, I’ve no doubt we’d want to reward him with a bigger contract in the future.
Unusually with DANS pieces, I find myself agreeing with all he writes. It all sounds like very fair comment to me. As for answering his question about RN getting a new contract, my thoughts are that MA is in a better position BY FAR, to know than any of us.
Therefore, I am glad he is there to make what I HAVE NO DOUBT WILL TURN OUT TO BE THE RIGHT DECISION , whatever he decides!
Arteta should not make the mistake he made with Emi Martinez.
I definitely believe he deserves a new contract, even based on the limited performances we’ve seen this year. The talk is always about squad depth and that’s what he provides. He won’t play every week, but he provides quality and skill off the bench for sure.
One of things I’ve always felt about RN when he’s played for Arsenal is that he’s lacked the confidence to go at a defender and would make the safe play. This season, again limited opportunities, I have seen him more eager to take on someone to try to score or set up a teammate.
At the end of the Bournemouth game, it looked like most of the team were passing the ball around trying to find the right pass outside of RN and MO. Arsenal need difference makers off the bench, and I think he can provide that.
I would give him a 2 year contract def worth taking a chance he’s got the potential to be a top player whether he can maximise that potential is another matter but would give him the opportunity to prove himself with that length of contract!