Arsenal and Reiss Nelson have agreed to a mutual contract termination, reports David Ornstein. The 26-year-old will immediately become a free agent and will “assess his options” before making his next move. Nelson had one season remaining on his Arsenal contract, and the club held a one-year extension option. There had been talks over a move to West Ham for a minor sum but clearly that did not come together.
The Hale End graduate made his first team debut for Arsene Wenger in August 2017 but never
reached the heights at Arsenal that many thought he might. He spent several seasons on loan — Hoffenheim, Fulham, Brentford — but spent a good deal of time injured, too. We’ll always have the Bournemouth goal, though. What a moment for him, for the club, and for the home support.
Nelson’s departure marks the end of an era at Arsenal. Reiss Nelson was the last remaining player on the roster to have played under Arsene Wenger. It also means that Bukayo Saka is the last man standing from Mikel Arteta’s first match in charge at Arsenal, a 1-1 draw against Bournemouth in December 2019.
Given the increased scrutiny on the financial side of football, hopefully Arsenal’s takeaway from Reiss Nelson’s situation is that it is better to sell academy players sooner rather than later. The club handed him a contract extension in 2023. In retrospect, that decision was a poor one. Book the profit when you can. If a guy develops into a star after you sell him, that’s how it goes. The overwhelming majority of players who come through any academy, even the ones who do become full professionals, don’t become stars.
Of course, hindsight is 20-20. These are tough decisions and it’s easy to forget the human element, too. The sentimentality of a Hale End graduate making it at Arsenal, the loss-aversion factor of avoiding selling the wrong guy too soon. The list goes on.
Hopefully Reiss Nelson finds someplace where he can play regular football. He’s still only 26-years old. If he stays healthy, he should have some solid seasons ahead of him. Best of luck, Reiss. That was one heck of strike against the Cherries.
