As Arsenal look set to complete a deal for Brighton & Hove Albion attacker Leandro Trossard, this could mean the end of the road for Reiss Nelson, in our view.
Transfer insider Fabrizio Romano has reported that talks between Mikel Arteta’s side and Brighton are ‘advanced’, as a move for the £20 million-rated star (Daily Mail) could be completed in a matter of hours.
However, the potential arrival of Leandro Trossard at Arsenal could be bad news for Reiss Nelson.
Leandro Trossard to Arsenal is bad news for Reiss Nelson
Well, simply because the Belgian international is likely to take his place in the side.
It seems as if Arsenal have brought in Leandro Trossard after missing out on Mykhaylo Mudryk in January, which means he is set to mainly operate on the flanks, where Reiss Nelson also plays.
Considering Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli’s starting places are not even slightly up for debate, there is only one man’s minutes that could now be under threat and that is the £38,000-a-week wideman.
Yes, the Hale End graduate has been injured for a majority of the ongoing season but even so, he has played a measly 64 minutes of Premier League football in the 8 games that he has been available in.
That is not a positive sign, and with Trossard having the ability to operate in the left-wing role that Nelson does as well, Arsenal will simply favour a more available as well as a significantly more established option.
Can Trossard’s versatility actually favour the Englishman?
The counter-argument one can make is that the 28-year-old’s admirable versatility could mean he is played across the pitch by Mikel Arteta.
However, considering the presences of Martin Odegaard, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Kieran Tierney, it is not as if Arteta’s potential new recruit will have to showcase his tactical flexibility by playing behind the striker or at left wing-back.
Considering Leandro Trossard seems to have been signed as a left-winger for Arsenal, it is bad news for Reiss Nelson, who can neither stay fit nor cement his place as even a challenger to Gabriel Martinelli.
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