Aston Villa want Reiss Nelson transfer amid Arsenal contract standoff
Aston Villa are interested in Arsenal winger Reiss Nelson with the 23-year-old yet to sign a new deal at The Emirates, according to The Mirror.
It’s understood the Villans, along with Brighton and a host of European sides want Nelson, who has struggled for gametime during the 2022/23 season (Daily Mirror, pg 51, 19 April).
West Ham currently believe they are the favourites for Nelson’s signature as he is settled in London and wants to remain in the capital.
Nonetheless, with Nelson yet to commit his future to The Gunners, with a contract on the table, there’s a chance for Villa to lure the winger to the West Midlands.
At present, Unai Emery’s side are a far more attractive proposition than the Hammers. The Villans have been transformed under the Spaniard, with a number of players in the form of their careers. Considering Nelson needs to be playing football regularly, he could be well swayed.
Villa’s options out wide have been inconsistent this season, which means an opportunity could well present itself to the Arsenal sensation. In fact, when given the chance during the 2022/23 season, Nelson has actually been fairly impressive.
According to Wyscout, only two players have managed a better expected goals per 90 minutes, with Erling Haaland being one of them. Obviously, Leon Bailey has played more games, but Nelson’s XG is nearly four times greater. The Jamaican has often been criticised for his inconsistency and lack of output; signing the Arsenal man would certainly provide some competition.
Furthermore, when looking at Nelson’s career as a whole, he’s always been a winger who can and will score goals. He likes to pick up goalscoring positions, which could suit how Emery wants his team to play.
Of course, Ollie Watkins has been the main source for the Villans, but the likes of Jacob Ramsey and John McGinn have both helped out from midfield. Nelson has averaged 4.25 touches in the box on average throughout his career, which is higher than Bailey’s 3.2.
Considering Nelson could be signed for free, this could be an astute piece of business from the board. He’s still young, is desperate to play regularly and knows where the back of the net is, what’s not to like?
In other Aston Villa news, we can exclusively reveal that Manchester United are set to sign this highly-rated Villa player.