Arsenal have had their fair share of players over the years that simply haven’t quite hit the exciting potential that they’ve shown glimpses of.
One of the players that fits into that category is Reiss Nelson, and with the 23-year-old being out of contract at the end of the 2022/23 season, it seems as though it’s only a matter of time before his permanent departure from The Emirates is confirmed. The winger has had spells out on loan with the likes of Hoffenheim and Feyenoord in recent seasons, as he’s looked to find much-needed game time to further his development in first-team football.
In fact, Nelson has played more games for Hoffenheim in a loan spell during the 2018/19 season, than he has in total for Arsenal’s first-team, which is a statistic that speaks volumes about his future with the Gunners. Of course the lack of game time with Arsenal isn’t purely Nelson’s fault, as the former England youth international is behind the likes of Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka in the pecking order in Mikel Arteta’s side. Saka’s form in particular has been nothing short of sensational this season, and Nelson simply doesn’t stand a chance in getting in the starting XI ahead of him anytime soon, as Arsenal edge closer to winning a long overdue league title.
According to experts at My Betting Sites, the Gunners are priced at 6/5 on Betway to win the Premier League title this season, despite being two points clear of Manchester City with a game in hand on Pep Guardiola’s side. Below, you’ll find the odds of Arsenal’s title chances with other popular betting sites.
- BetUK @ 11/10
- Unibet @ 11/10
- William Hill @ Evens
- bet365 @ Evens
- Paddy Power @ 10/11
- 888sport @ 10/11
Odds displayed are correct as of 12:12 pm, Tuesday 28th February 2023. Odds are subject to change.
Nelson is out-of-contract, and has shown glimpses of his quality with the Gunners, and some might argue that he should have been given more of an opportunity to impress in Arteta’s first-team, especially after scoring seven goals in 23 appearances in the Bundesliga for Hoffenheim.
However, that hasn’t been the case for one reason or another, with Nelson featuring just seven times in the Premier League for Arsenal, although he has scored twice, and assisted on two occasions, which makes for slightly impressive reading to any potential suitors for his signature heading towards the summer transfer window. One club that is reportedly eyeing a transfer swoop for Nelson is West Ham United, who are looking to add much-needed quality to their attacking options, having endured a frustrating league campaign so far this term, which sees them looking nervously over their shoulders in the battle to avoid relegation into the Championship.
With Arsenal seemingly planning for a long-term future challenging for the Premier League title on a more frequent basis than they have been doing in the last ten years, it seems as though the best move for all parties involved, is for Nelson to depart the club in the summer when his contract expires. It’ll of course be frustrating for some supporters, who would have been keen to see the club get a fee for him, especially when he could potentially go on to hit the exciting heights that his potential once promised.
The Gunners are seemingly edging closer to reaching a long-term agreement with Bukayo Saka over his future at the club, and so this could be the final nail in the coffin for Nelson’s chances of breaking into the starting XI on a regular basis, and his departure feels as though it’s only going to be a matter of time before it’s confirmed. It’s one that could come back to haunt Arsenal though, and it’ll be interesting to see how Nelson copes with regular first-team football in the Premier League, if of course, a move to West Ham is to materialise, although it wouldn’t come as much of a surprise to see European clubs registering their interest in the winger after his experience out on loan.
I hope that he stays. I believe that this would be the best outcome.