06 March 2023 , 13:27
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Arsenal are hoping to convince Hale End graduate Reiss Nelson to commit his future to the club in the wake of his priceless match-winning goal against Bournemouth at the weekend.
Nelson, 23, has been a peripheral figure for the Gunners this season but stepped off the bench to crack home a dramatic 97th minute strike against the Premier League strugglers to keep the Londoners' title bid on track on Saturday afternoon.
The winger's rasping drive from the edge of the box capped a rousing second-half comeback to restore Arsenal's five-point cushion at the summit of the league after Bournemouth had nudged themselves into a shock two goal lead in north London.
But although Nelson's late strike could turn out to be a defining moment in the title race, his long-term future is unclear: the youngster has less than six months remaining on his current deal and is due to be a free agent in the summer.
However, The Daily Mail are now reporting that the club have started discussions with Nelson with a view to agreeing a new contract.
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Nelson's goalscoring cameo is the second time this season he's made a major impact off the bench following his two goal haul in the 5-0 drubbing of Nottingham Forest earlier in the season. Unfortunately, injuries have prevented Nelson from building on that display and he had featured for just a single minute in the Premier League prior to his introduction at the weekend.
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Arsenal have opened discussions with Reiss Nelson over a new contract (Julian Finney/Getty)More recently, Nelson, who also impressed during a season-long loan stint at Feyenoord last season, has been sidelined by a thigh issue. The winger has been back in contention for the last couple of games, but Gunners boss Mikel Arteta admitted that he had decided to leave Nelson out his squad in favour of "other options".
However, the Spaniard hinted that he has now changed his tune on Nelson following the winger's late, late show against Bournemouth. And Arteta admitted that the youngster had now shown that he has the scope to play a really "important" role for Gunners over the coming months.
“I always saw the potential,” Arteta insisted after Saturday's match when he was asked about Nelson's last-gasp thunderbolt. “The talent and the desire for him to do it, but he’s at a different level right now. I think emotionally, the experiences that he had helped him.
“Football-wise, it was my decision in the last two games not to play him because we had other options. But he was knocking on the door, he's been training really good and it's a good lesson for me and for the coaches that we need him and that he can be really important for the team.”