69 PL mins in 2020/21, behind 4 players in pecking order – 21 y/o could leave Arsenal [Opinion] – originally posted on Sportslens.com
Reiss Nelson’s future at Arsenal is up in the air after a disappointing season that saw him make very few appearances under Mikel Arteta.
The 21-year-old spent most of the 2020/21 campaign out of the matchday or as an unused substitute, so he may be considered surplus to requirements and subsequently sold.
Nelson rose through the youth ranks to the Arsenal first-team in 2017/18 and has gone on to make 47 appearances in all competitions, scoring four goals with four assists.
It’s worth noting that 47% of his outings have come from the bench, so he’s never managed to nail down a regular spot.
The wide-man was loaned out to TSG Hoffenheim in 2018/19 to get more first-team football and impressed early on in Germany (6 goals and 1 assist in 7 games), but he fired blanks in the second half of the season (0 goals and 1 assist in 16 games) and has hardly featured for Arsenal since.
Nelson amassed 626 minutes of Premier League football in 2019/20 and only managed 69 minutes in 2020/21. Arteta preferred Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Willian and Nicolas Pepe, so the 21-year-old might struggle for opportunities this coming season.
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Nelson had real promise at Arsenal, but he’s failed to kick on and now finds the writing on the wall. He has two years left on his contract, so either he leaves on loan and tries to impress so he can fight for his place next year, or he gives up his Arsenal dream early and seeks a permanent move.
Stats from Transfermarkt.
Read: Ainsley Maitland-Niles could leave Arsenal this summer
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Author:Crippy Cooke