The highly rated 18-year-old Reiss Nelson is hopeful he will sign a new contract at Arsenal in the coming weeks, having made his full Premier League debut in Sunday’s 3-2 home win against Southampton.
The forward has had brief flirtations with the first team this season, featuring in all of their Europa League group matches earlier in the campaign. That competition is becoming increasingly important to Arsène Wenger as it presents the only chance to win a trophy and the most probable way of returning to the Champions League, given they are 13 points adrift of fourth place in the Premier League, with six games remaining.
The manager has therefore started to rest key players before European fixtures, making seven changes for the game against Saints from the side who beat CSKA Moscow 4-1 in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final tie. Nelson was one of the players to come into the side and, having achieved such a landmark, he is now keen to sign a deal.
“It is a big achievement to sign for a big club like Arsenal so I’m just delighted with the contract and hopeful can sign it soon,” he said. “I did set one target – to make my first-team debut. I have done that, I have had 15 appearances.
“A Premier League start was on the cards but I think I need to score, that is the only one I haven’t achieved, so fingers crossed I can get a cheeky goal before the end of the season.
“I think a first-team start in the Premier League at a high level like this is always a step forward. I’ve just got to thank the boss and all my team-mates around me, pushing me and making me work harder and harder.”
Nelson is enjoying working under Wenger and he could yet make up part of the squad who travel to Russia for Thursday’s second leg against CSKA.
“He is one of the biggest [influences] for me,” Nelson said of Wenger. “He keeps pushing the youngsters – me, Eddie Nketiah and Joe Willock – I think he has got a bight future planned for us. We just have to keep training well and I think he is always going to push us and will give us first-team football when the opportunities arise.”