Arsenal made some big and bold decisions this past summer as they decided to allow some of their youth academy products to leave the club. Players such as Emile Smith Rowe, Edward Nketiah and Reiss Nelson all departed the Emirates Stadium, with Nelson leaving on loan, while the other two were permanent deals.
As per reports from Sami Mokbel of the Daily Mail, Nelson’s departure is about to be set in stone next summer as Arsenal prepare for offloading the player from their payroll permanently. Although Nelson is contracted to the club until 2027, the Gunners will look to sell him early so they retain a decent bargaining power with interested parties.
Nelson also picked up a hamstring injury recently, with Fulham boss Marco Silva notifying the press in the post-match conference after their 2-2 draw against Liverpool. As a result, he is set for up to 10 weeks on the sidelines, with a return to action looking unlikely before February.
Now with the pressure of playing and performing off his mind, the player can focus on sorting out his future with Arsenal.
Nelson’s story at Arsenal so far
Reiss Nelson was born in December 1999 and joined the Arsenal youth academy as a nine-year-old in 2008. He spent the next nine years playing for the Gunners across different age groups, breaking into the first team in 2017 under Arsene Wenger.
He made a few appearances off the bench early in the campaign and hopes rose among the club’s fans that they had another gem from Hale End. However, his involvement reduced as the season progressed. The arrival of players such as Gabriel Martinelli, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Nicolas Pepe pushed Nelson further down the pecking order.
The 25-year-old has made just 90 appearances for the club despite being part of their first team since 2017, scoring eight goals and providing nine assists. With things looking unlikely to change under Arteta, it seems his 16-year stint with the Gunners might come to an end.
