Despite agreeing a new deal with Arsenal, Reiss Nelson still hadn’t actually signed the paperwork until this week, leading to some concerns from fans that he might still decide to move elsewhere.
Given the winger has been out of contract since the end of last month, that was technically possible. He’s a free agent, so he’s free to sign with whichever club he wants.
But the good news comes from James Benge, reporting that Nelson will finally sign his new deal on Wednesday.
James McNicholas had reported on the Gunnerblog YouTube channel that he was sure Nelson would be at Arsenal for the 2023/24 campaign.
McNicholas believed that the deal could even be signed in the next few days, with the agreement already in place. Based on Benge’s update, that now appears to be the case.
Everyone was always on the same page, it was just a matter of signing the paperwork.
After so many years at the club, there was a level of trust there, so Arsenal were willing to wait and let Nelson enjoy his holiday rather than rushing him back to sign on the dotted line.
Both James Benge and Fabrizio Romano report that Nelson’s deal lasts for four years, though there’s been some speculation that it might include an option to extend for a fifth.
Romano himself previously wrote that there was an option to extend. Either way, the winger will be under contract until at least 2027.
Nelson made just 18 appearances and five starts for Arsenal last season, scoring three goals and providing three assists.
Yet there was always a sense that Mikel Arteta believed in him more than that makes it seem, regularly bringing him up for praise in press conferences unprompted.
If it wasn’t for Gabriel Martinelli’s fantastic form and Nelson’s mid-season injuries, perhaps he would have been much more involved in 2022/23. He’ll now get a chance to feature more regularly in the new campaign.