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Arsenal attacker Reiss Nelson has reportedly rejected the club's first contract renewal offer.
Nelson's contract with the Gunners is set to expire next month. As per journalist Pete O'Rourke, the English winger could leave the club as a free agent in search of more playing time elsewhere.
Nelson, 23, has made just 16 appearances across competitions this season for the north London side, starting just five games across competitions. He has scored three goals and provided three assists in that time.
Despite putting in impressive performances as a substitute, Nelson is yet to find a permanent place in Arsenal's starting lineup. He could fall further down in the pecking order as the Gunners look to bring in more attacking reinforcements in the summer.
Hence, as per O'Rourke's column in Football Insider, the winger is looking to leave the club. The Gunners, however, will offer Nelson a new contract. They have been impressed by his versatility and also value his homegrown status.
Overall, Nelson has made 64 senior appearances for the north London side, scoring seven goals and providing the same number of assists.
While Nelson's contract situation might linger for a bit, Arsenal are confident that they could tie Bukayo Saka and William Saliba to new contracts. They both have been key players for the Gunners this season and their contracts expire in 2024.
Mikel Arteta provides injury update ahead of Arsenal's clash against Brighton
The Gunners will host Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League on Sunday, May 14. They will look to build on their last two wins over Chelsea and Newcastle United after dropping points in four games prior to that.
Ahead of the game, manager Mikel Arteta provided an update on William Saliba and Oleksandr Zinchenko's injuries. Some reports suggested that the duo are out for the rest of the season but Arteta is optimistic as he said (via Arsenal.com):
"We have another session tomorrow before the Brighton game, and we are trying to get players back for that. Today we haven’t trained on the pitch, so we’ll know more tomorrow."
He added:
"With William [Saliba], it’s for sure that he’s not going to be fit for this game and we are doubting whether he will be fit for the next game as well. But we want to keep the hope going and make sure that we give ourselves the best chance of having them back."
Arsenal are one point behind Manchester City atop the Premier League table, having played one more game. They are hoping to continue to put pressure on City but it won't be an easy task against Brighton, who are chasing European football themselves and have three wins in their last five games.
