Arsenal’s latest Reiss Nelson deal makes no sense, Andrea Berta has got to do better
Reiss Nelson has returned to Arsenal this summer but once again, he doesn’t look like sticking around long enough to have an impact.
Nelson spent last season with Brentford after spending the year prior with Fulham.
However, once more, he has returned to the Gunners with his loan club seemingly unwilling to convert into a permanent deal.
Now, with just a year left on his contract, Nelson is being linked with a move to Championship newcomers West Ham, who are trying to come straight back up under Nuno Espirito Santo.
But when it comes to the deal Arsenal are potentially doing, it once again looks bizarre.
Reiss Nelson must be sold, a loan deal is pointless
Arsenal are developing a bit of a bad habit when it comes to moving players on. Too many times we have seen players leave for well below market value or nothing at all.
Now, with Reiss Nelson, there are suggestions that he will join West Ham on yet another season-long loan deal.
The problem this time is that this latest loan will see him run down his contract and next summer, leave for nothing.
With certain players, this is all well and good. However, Nelson is a player Arsenal have invested heavily in producing from the academy and crucially, they gave him a whopping new contract worth around £100,000-a-week just three seasons back.
To have put so much time and money into a player and then to simply let them walk away for nothing seems like business suicide.
On that front, Andrea Berta simply has to do better. Yes, West Ham might want the player and be willing to pay his wages. But Arsenal need to bring money into the club too, especially with homegrown talents.
Ultimately, if this one goes ahead and Nelson does walk away for free, then Arsenal and Berta have been made to look poor once again.
This simply has to change and fans – quite rightly – will be getting annoyed at this element of the club.