Is It Time for Reiss Nelson to Accept His Arsenal Career Is Over? – Opinion

With the start of the Championship season just around the corner, West Ham United are in the process of attempting to secure a deal for Reiss Nelson before their match against Burnley. The Hammers are reportedly trying to pressure Arsenal into giving in, refusing to meet any fee demands as they know the Gunners have a history of loaning out players or even voiding contracts to reduce their wage bill. This high-stakes game of poker may continue until the end of August to see who backs down first.

Andrea Berta, Nelson's agent, isn't in a strong position, as he has only 12 months left on the player's contract. The Italian could potentially be persuaded to join West Ham on loan if the club can cover a significant portion of his salary. An extension to his contract could also be triggered to maintain his value, with an option or obligation potentially included in any loan deal.

While the loan might allow Nelson to stay in London, it's believed that he has reservations about dropping out of the top flight. If this is true, someone needs to have a serious conversation with the 26-year-old and give him some tough truths. Nelson needs to reflect on his career and consider that his time at the Emirates has been on life support for some time now.

He's been transferred to four different clubs, and although he's been unlucky with injuries, he has never been able to convince Mikel Arteta that he deserves a regular spot in the first team.

His agent has been rewarded for securing him a weekly wage of £100,000, but Nelson has acted like he's won the lottery, grateful to be paid to play for the team he loves but terrified they will discover that he has no business being there. He knows that the moment his contract expires, no one else will be paying that salary. While it's not common for players to willingly take a pay cut, loved ones need to ask him what is more important to him. He's in danger of squandering his career.

Nelson, who made his debut eight years ago, is closer to 30 than 20. Since his first appearance, he's only started 15 Premier League games. Although supporters want one of their own to succeed, they need to ask themselves if they would be as forgiving with other players who reject moves. Ultimately, Nelson needs to decide whether he's willing to start again and find regular football, even if that means moving down a division. It's a tough decision, but one that he must make for the sake of his career.