So, after 18 years, Reiss Nelson’s time at Arsenal is officially over. He and the club agreed to end his contract early. This means the 26-year-old winger can now go find a new team as a free agent.
Nelson was actually set to stay until 2027, but he decided to leave now to make sure he gets consistent playing time, especially since he’s hitting what should be his best years as a player.
He joined Arsenal’s youth system when he was just eight. Everyone at Hale End thought he was a really promising talent back then. He went through all the youth levels and played 68 games for the academy teams before making his senior debut in 2017.
In his time with the senior squad, he played 90 games in total. He scored 8 goals and set up 9 others. He was part of the team that won the FA Cup in 2020, and he also picked up Community Shields in 2017 and 2020.
Arsenal won’t get any money for him now, not that they could have expected much this late in the transfer window. But letting him go does clear some room on their payroll and, more importantly, gives Nelson the freedom to choose exactly where he wants to go next. It’s been getting harder and harder for him to get regular minutes with the team, especially with how competitive things are under Mikel Arteta.
Being a free agent means he can talk to clubs and sort out a deal without worrying about transfer window deadlines. There’s already talk about interest from a few Premier League clubs, like West Ham, who have been watching him for a while. Other teams in Europe are also apparently keen. He’s planning to look at all his choices carefully before making a decision on his next move. his next destination.
