To be a big club you act like a big club. by Dan Smith
If Reiss Nelson turned down two contract offers from Man City based on wanting assurances of more game time, Pep Guardiola would laugh while ordering him a taxi and wishing him all the best in his future endeavours.
For a start he wouldn’t get near the squad at the Etihad. Isn’t that the team we want to be compared too, their levels the ones we wish to reach?
In my opinion, the 23-year-old should be grateful that Arsenal have offered any kind of extension and are not simply allowing him to leave as a free agent.
This after all was the graduate that everyone was most excited about at Hale’s End.
He’s older than Saka and Smith Rowe, both who have had regular runs in the first teams where they scored double figures.
Yes, Reiss Nelson had that great moment against Bournemouth and at our academy since the age of 9, no one can take that away from him.
Yet any professional can strike a ball from long distance, it’s not enough to decide your future.
What a big club would do is analyse the whole-time frame from when the latest contract was signed, make a judgement based on that and determine the assets valuation and worth.
The midfielder’s current deal started in August 2018. In that time, he had loans in Germany and Holland.
He was good at Hoffenheim, okay at Feyenoord. Both had periods on the side-lines with injury, both managers at times questioned his fitness.
He’s played approx. 16 times this season. During those 5 years in three different countries how many truly great games has he had?
Enough to be saying no to the Arsenal?
Enough to be thinking he can do better elsewhere.
There will be those with a sense of entitlement who will say he hasn’t had enough opportunities, been unlucky with injuries, was played out of position, etc. 77 games though are enough to prove yourself and still, no longer a youngster, we are still waiting.
Many have focused on his winner against the Cherries. What you should focus on is the two legs with Sporting Lisbon.
Sometimes timing is everything. That was his manager giving him a chance in a top-level match, with high stakes pressure.
His boss would have been wondering does the player have the personality to demand the ball.
Does he want to make things happen?
Or does he shy away?
Does he play the safe pass?
Those two games in Europe summed up most of his showing in a red and white shirt. He’s grateful to be there more than believing.
He’s probably got the same agent as Eddie Nketiah, advisors realising if he becomes an official free agent, he can leverage counter offers. He’s got every right to point out if Eddie gets 100,000 a week, what’s his worth?
We can’t though, that work out as Arsenal paying 200,000 pound a week on two players, who years after their debuts haven’t proven they are top half of the division level.
Anyone with the player’s best interests at heart would encourage a move.
At 23 he needs to be playing regular football. That will never happen at Arsenal.
I hope not anyway, because I want Arsenal to be competing at a certain level. We are not going to win or lose Prems based on Reiss Nelson staying or going.
He should be grateful he even got a new deal offered in the first place, because make no mistake the Manchester clubs, Liverpool and Chelsea won’t be interested.
To be a big club, you act like a big club.
Big clubs decide their asking price and if the player says no, you say goodbye.
Especially when the asset in question is still to prove he’s good enough.
Dan Smith
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