CONFIRMED: West Ham want Arsenal's Reiss Nelson

Steve Kay

• 18 Apr 2023 14:04 BST
• 3 min read

West Ham want to sign former England under-21 winger Reiss Nelson from Arsenal, FootballTransfers' insider Steve Kay can confirm.

Nelson has found first-team opportunities at a premium with Arsenal this season, with Mikel Arteta typically preferring Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli in the wide attacking areas.

The academy graduate has only managed five substitute appearances in the Premier League this term, although he has started four of his six games in the Europa League.

READ: Reiss Nelson is the Premier League's most clutch player - Arsenal are lucky to have him

Arteta has previously insisted that he rates the player, but a summer exit appears to be more and more likely for the 23-year-old, who feels ready to kick on.

What did Kay say?

"West Ham are interested in signing Arsenal winger Reiss Nelson in the upcoming summer transfer window," Kay posted to his Twitter account.

"Also according to sources, Italian club Sassuolo have enquired about the player."

READ: 'Champions mentality!' - Arsenal fans react to Reiss Nelson’s Bournemouth winner

Nelson, a childhood friend of Manchester United winger Jadon Sancho, enjoyed the best spell of his career to date on loan at Hoffenheim, when Sancho was still at Borussia Dortmund, in 2018/19.

He hit seven goals and one assist in 23 games under Julian Nagelsmann that season, and West Ham will hope the player can blossom into one the former Bayern Munich coach said could reach the level of Messi and Ronaldo if he kept his "consistency and mentality."

Nelson is valued at just €4.4 million (£3.9m) by FootballTransfers' in-house algorithm, but West Ham wouldn't necessarily have to pay anything with the player out of contract in the summer.

Nelson has an ETV of €12.7m and Arsenal are sure to point out the true value of the player as they look to negotiate Declan Rice's asking price down.

The England midfielder has been linked with a move to the Emirates, and the Gunners could try and arrange a deal with Nelson as a makeweight now before he leaves for Sassuolo or another club instead.