Arsenal should explore Reiss Nelson option in Emi Buendia pursuit

Unless transfer news wasn’t your thing, Arsenal are pushing hard to sign Emi Buendia this summer. It’s hard to avoid. The Argentine has been a long-standing target for Mikel Arteta, who sees him as a creative and threatening piece in his forward line. Could Reiss Nelson help sweeten the deal?

Without mountains of cash to spend this summer – or even molehills – Arsenal will have to be creative in their efforts to bring players to north London.

There is only so far creativity can get you before other clubs lose their patience, but with a considerable amount of deadwood and potential outgoings for Arsenal, the opportunity to add makeweights to deals can be explored.

Reiss Nelson has had a wasted season. One he may as well have not turned up for. Excluding Premier League 2, which shouldn’t be considered as it’s well below his skill level, the 21-year-old has played a grand total of 448 minutes this season.

Arsenal could use Reiss Nelson in Emi Buendia pursuit as Mikel Arteta chases summer transfer

At his age and at this stage of his development, this is poor management. Here we have someone who when broke through the youth ranks prior to joining Hoffenheim on loan, was the Hale End graduate who got the pulses racing. There was genuine excitement around his talent.

When it became clear there would be no place in the senior side for him this term other than the Europa League group stages, he should have been sent out on loan. No such move transpired for a number of reasons, and now he has two years left on his deal.

The best solution would be to loan him out, let him build up his value and simply play regular football before making a decision in the following summer. Yet with Arsenal chasing Emi Buendia, who is valued at £40m, Arsenal have a tool here that could help them secure a deal.

Given Arsenal’s financial position, their academy stars will prove crucial to their success. Whether that’s Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe carrying the first team or talk of Eddie Nketiah being part of a deal for Yves Bissouma, Nelson can fall into the latter category.

There has been no concrete talk of interest from Norwich but they will need a right-winger if Buendia departs and Arsenal would be foolish not to offer some leverage with Nelson, either permanently or on a 12-month loan.

For the player’s sake, he will get Premier League minutes next season and the Canaries will have an excellent talent at their disposal. Their lack of previous interest may play a part, however.

It’s something worth exploring and as Arsenal try and wheel and deal their way through the summer market, it could be something they have already looked into.