Just over a week ago, Mikel Arteta confirmed that Reiss Nelson had suffered an injury, placing his future at Arsenal in doubt.
James Benge of CBS Sports claimed that the £38,000-a-week man would miss roughly two months due to his quad injury, which would’ve scuppered any chances of a potential loan exit before the September 1st deadline.
However, Nelson has now posted a surprising update on Instagram.
What’s the story?
Well, the 22-year-old told his followers that he had returned to training this morning, writing that it was his “first day on pitch” back at London Colney.
It means Nelson has returned to action many weeks before people expected him to, which is great to see.
Now, the Hale End graduate can either knuckle down and attempt to convince Arteta he deserves a first-team place before the September 1st deadline, or he can push for a loan exit.
However, Nelson has already entered the final 12 months of his contract at the Emirates Stadium, so if he does go out on a season-long loan and fails to shine, he could find himself unemployed in July 2023.
Reiss Nelson in limbo at Arsenal
In our view, this is a very important week for Nelson – perhaps one of the biggest in his Arsenal career to date.
Nicolas Pepe is close to joining OGC Nice on loan, so there is a potential opening for him on the wings – with the Gunners involved in Europa League action, there are opportunities for game time, also in the domestic cup competitions.
However, Nelson may have to wait and see what happens, as Arsenal are in talks to replace the Ivory Coast international with Wolves No.7 Pedro Neto.
If that deal materialises, we think Nelson should definitely push to leave, as it would prove that Arteta doesn’t really see the England Under-21 international as a serious first-team option.
Keep an eye on his situation, as a lot could happen over the next week.
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