West Ham United are in pole position to land Arsenal winger Reiss Nelson this summer.
Reiss Nelson, 24, joined Arsenal way back in 2007, coming up through the youth ranks before earning promotion to the first team in the 2017/18 season. However, he has failed to establish himself in the first team, enjoying sporadic chances to shine all these years.
The winger featured 23 times across all competitions for the Gunners this past season, racking up less than 700 minutes on the pitch. Nelson is hungry for regular first-team action and is keen to move on from Arsenal. He is on the wishlist of several Premier League clubs, but West Ham reportedly are leading the race for the Gunners’ outcast. A fee between £15m to £20m is understood to be enough to tempt Arsenal into selling the former England youth international.
West Ham making moves in the transfer window
West Ham have begun a new era under head coach Julen Lopetegui, who has replaced David Moyes at the helm. Thanks to Declan Rice’s big-money move to Arsenal last summer, the Irons have been in a good financial position, enabling them to spend wisely over new faces this time.
They have already signed Luis Guilherme from Palmeiras and Wolverhampton Wanderers skipper Max Kilman, reinforcing the forward and defence respectively. The Hammers are planning to further strengthen the attack after last season’s struggle for creativity and goals, and have revived their interest in Reiss Nelson.
Nelson was set to become a free agent in the summer of 2023 but he decided to pen down a new deal at the Emirates Stadium, extending his stay at the club until 2027. Having once again been on the fringes under Mikel Arteta, the 24-year-old wants to end his association with the Gunners this year and they are ready to cash him in.
The Englishman could be a fantastic addition to West Ham’s attack, bringing energy, pace and creativity to the team. With Lucas Paqueta and Mohammed Kudus linked with moves away from the London Stadium, Julen Lopetegui’s side would need more quality in wide areas and Nelson would be a good fit. At West Ham and under a tactically smart manager in Lopetegui, he would get regular opportunities to shine and unlock his true potential.
Rated between £15m to £20m, the Hammers must quickly aim to wrap up a deal for Nelson.
I am Rohan Sengupta from one of the busiest cities in India, Mumbai. A Journalism graduate with a keen interest in sports, football is something I simply cannot live without and writing, discussing and analyzing the game is what I do 24*7.
