Arteta needs to cash in on Arsenal star who earns as much as Gabriel

Following on from the signings of Declan Rice, Kai Havertz, David Raya and Jurrien Timber last summer, it is likely to be another intriguing window this time around at Arsenal, with further additions needed to help maintain the current momentum under Mikel Arteta.

Talk has, unsurprisingly, centred around the acquisition of a new centre-forward – with Viktor Gyokeres and Ivan Toney seemingly among those in the frame – although in order to fund any notable incomings, there may also be a need to sanction some high-profile sales too.

The Athletic’s David Ornstein did suggest earlier this month that the likes of Aaron Ramsdale, Eddie Nketiah and Emile Smith Rowe could be among those to depart – alongside Nuno Tavares, Kieran Tierney and Albert Sambi Lokonga who are all currently out on loan – with the prospect of raking in sizeable funds.

There is a further name who is not among that list who should perhaps also be shown the door, with academy graduate Reiss Nelson hardly justifying his hefty salary at the Emirates.

How much Reiss Nelson earns at Arsenal

Now 24, the Gunners are still seemingly still waiting to see Nelson realise his undoubted potential, with it easy to ponder whether the Englishman will ever actually manage to explode at the club, following what has been another quiet season on an individual basis.

After spending the 2021/22 campaign out on loan at Feyenoord – for whom he chalked up four goals and seven assists – the fleet-footed winger returned to the first-team fold last season, going on to chip in with three goals and three assists, including that late winner against AFC Bournemouth.

That return of six goal involvements from only 18 outings was enough for Arteta and co to sanction a new four-year deal for the 5 foot 9 speedster, with that bumper new contract reportedly taking his salary up to a rather sizeable £100k-per-week.

It is fair to say that such an enhanced wage has hardly been justified over the course of the current campaign, with a return of one goal and two assists nothing to write home about.

Even more bizarre is the fact that Nelson’s salary is on par with what first-team regular Gabriel earns at the club, despite the fact that the Brazilian has made 38 appearances already this season as a key member of Arteta’s side, while scoring four times in the process.

Reiss Nelson’s market value

If Arsenal are to part ways with Nelson this summer – as has been suggested by journalist Charles Watts – they will be seeking to maximise their profit when doing so, with Watts believing that he could command a fee of around £25-£30m.

However, according to CIES Football Observatory, the wideman’s actual value is closer to just €10m (£9m), which places him behind the likes of Smith Rowe (£13m) – another homegrown figure who has slipped down the pecking order this season after starting just three times across all fronts.

Much like Smith Rowe, Nelson has had to endure a peripheral role of late with just four senior starts in all competitions this season, having yet to start a Premier League game in 2023/24 as a marker of his lowly status.

For the Gunners to then seemingly be paying the one-time Hoffenheim loanee in the region of £100k-per-week to sit on the bench appears rather ludicrous, with it seemingly best for all parties if he can find a new home elsewhere this summer.

There may yet still be a moment or two for Nelson to show his worth between now and the end of the season, yet in the long-term, his future should seemingly lie away from the Emirates.