Mikel Arteta has praised Reiss Nelson as the winger potentially comes into the picture for first-team action at Arsenal.
The Gunners are watching Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli absolutely fly in the Premier League right now.
Yet there are issues in wide areas for Mikel Arteta to deal with.
Nicolas Pepe was loaned to Nice before the transfer deadline and wasn’t replaced, a decision that now looks questionable.
Emile Smith Rowe has picked up an injury and may be out until early 2023 whilst Marquinhos is still raw and inexperienced.
Mikel Arteta has praised Reiss Nelson
That leaves one other real option out wide with Reiss Nelson possibly in contention.
Nelson, 22, has been in the Arsenal ranks in 2007 and has long been touted as a star of the future at the Emirates Stadium.
Yet with his contract running out next summer and Nelson struggling for playing time, it looks like that potential may go amiss.
Loans at Hoffenheim and Feyenoord haven’t taken Nelson any closer to first-team action any many expected him to be sold over the summer.
Nelson is still at Arsenal though and with no minutes given to him this season, he’s in danger of becoming a forgotten man.
A thigh injury has held Nelson back and Arsenal fans are wondering whether he could soon be given a chance in the Europa League.
Arsenal take on Bodo/Glimt on Thursday and with those wide issues clear, Nelson may well be needed.
Arsenal boss Arteta has now commented on Nelson, telling Sky Sports that he sees something special in the winger.
Arteta noted that Arsenal keep hanging on with Nelson, believing that his potential will shine through at some point with Arsenal believing that they can take Nelson to the next level.
Arteta noted that Nelson is now ready to play after three months out with injury and he may well receive a change in the Europa League.
“Obviously after the spell that he had last year on, we wanted him back to see there is any changes,” said Arteta. “He is a prospect that we can really take to the next level. The potential is there, we always hang in there because we see something in Reiss that is special.”
“He is part of our academy system and now he is going to have an opportunity. He has been out for almost three months with an injury, he is back now, he is fully fit and he is ready to play, he just needs minutes now,” he added.
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