Arsenal’s Hale-End academy has done wonders for the club over the years and Freddie Ljungberg has seen many of the current stars evolve into superstars.
Bukayo Saka is the one leading the way, and Emile Smith Rowe, aside from his injury issues, has also served the senior team well.
But Freddie Ljungberg was pretty clear that one academy product should be thinking about his future away from the club – Reiss Nelson.
The 24-year-old has only played 169 minutes of Premier League football this season for Arsenal and Freddie Ljungberg thinks ‘he isn’t getting the chances’ and he should ‘move to get a career’, as he told PL Productions (04/03/24 at 7:40 pm).
It’s pretty clear, even after signing a new contact in the summer, that the versatile forward is nothing but a squad player under Mike Arteta.
Amid all this talk about Bukayo Saka playing too much and needing more rest, someone like Reiss Nelson could start on the right channel, but he has only made four starts all season long and none of them have been in the Premier League.
Arsenal still have a lot of value in the former Feyenoord star’s contract, so they could get a decent fee from him if they decided to part ways in the summer.
Reiss Nelson should leave Arsenal
“When you put it like that, it’s pretty clear,” said Ljungberg on the squad overhaul since he was in charge.
“The owners have done a great job in pumping money into the club – they changed them because they want to be at the top of the table and that cost money.
“They kept Bukayo and Martinelli. They are top players. Smith Rowe has had some injuries. I think Reiss Nelson doesn’t get the chances that he maybe needs and should move to get a career.
“But the rest of it is gone.”
Reiss Nelson’s progression
It’s understandable if Nelson would want to stay on board at Arsenal and to try and help his boyhood club win a title after two decades.
Being part of that team would be something special, but he is barely featuring and coming off the bench here and there.
Not only that, he is hurting his own progression. Nelson is at the stage of his career where he needs to be starting week in and week out.
But that lack of exposure might just hurt him down the line if he continues to sit on the bench and hardly play.
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