Reiss Nelson is frustrated about his lack of Premier League chances at Arsenal and could join Crystal Palace on loan before Monday’s deadline, according to Football London.
The England U21 international was perhaps the best player on the pitch as a Gunners side full of fringe players beat Leicester City 2-0 in the Carabao Cup last week.
But even a performance full of drive, determination and creativity was not enough to earn Nelson a place in Mikel Arteta’s squad for the 3-1 defeat to Liverpool on Monday.
The Arsenal academy graduate has not made a single top-flight appearance in 2020/21 and, after falling behind Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Nicolas Pepe, Willian and more in the pecking order, you can understand why he may be growing a little concerned.
FL reports that Nelson had planned to fight for his place at the Emirates.
But there is a growing realisation on the part of him and the club that a loan move away from north London would be the best possible solution to a growing problem. Crystal Palace will offer Nelson the regular first-team football that he just isn’t going to get at Arsenal.
“Reiss is a special player and can eliminate players one on one,” Arteta told the Standard earlier in the year.
A superb loan spell at Hoffenheim under Julian Nagelsmann in 2018/19 offered a tantalising glimpse into Nelson’s match-winning abilities at first-team level.
The 20-year-old was a teenager at the time but still scored eight times for one of the Bundesliga’s most exciting, forward-thinking clubs.
Crystal Palace’s record signings
- Christian Benteke – £27 million
2016
- Mamadou Sakho – £22 million
2017
- Eberechi Eze – £19.5 million
2020
- Patrick van Aanholt – £14 million
2017
- Andros Townsend – £13 million
2016
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