Mikel Arteta has been speaking about the mentality of his Arsenal squad – and he made an interesting claim about Reiss Nelson.
The Spaniard was asked about the mindset of Bukayo Saka following his penalty miss in the 2-2 draw against West Ham on Sunday, and his response was very intriguing.
What’s the story?
Well, Arteta revealed that a number of his Arsenal squad have strong mentalities and are always looking to improve on their effectiveness during games, with Nelson – previously an outcast – now “getting to” the level of Saka and Gabriel Martinelli.
The 41-year-old told Sky Sports: “Every player has self doubt because there are always things to improve. Always. They really want to understand what happened and how they can be better, more decisive in games. Gabi is the same, the other Gabi is the same, Reiss is becoming exactly the same (as Saka), and this is great.”
It speaks volumes that Nelson has worked his way into such a conversation, as he seemed to have no future at Arsenal just a matter of months ago. For him to now be likened to the £115m-rated Saka in terms of mental strength is telling.
Goal claimed that the 23-year-old was someone Arsenal were willing to sell last summer after he endured a quiet loan spell at Feyenoord in the 2021/22 campaign.
However, three goals and two assists in just five Premier League appearances for Arsenal this season has given everybody a different outlook on Nelson, with the Hale End graduate certainly taking his chances when they come.
Arsenal could still lose Reiss Nelson
It is a significant summer for Nelson, who sees his contract expire in July.
The Daily Mail believe Arsenal have offered him fresh terms, and while the winger is keen to stay in north London, an agreement is yet to be reached as Fulham, Aston Villa, West Ham United, Brighton and AC Milan circle.
Clearly, Nelson has a lot of options on the table, so be sure to keep an eye on the situation to see what happens.
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