West Ham must push for Arsenal winger transfer - he wants to stay in London | OneFootball

West Ham have been credited with an interest in signing Reiss Nelson from Arsenal

West Ham are back in the Championship after a 14-year stint in the Premier League following their relegation last season.

The Hammers finished 18th in the table, two points behind 17th place Tottenham Hotspur, which has led to their return to the second tier for the first time since 2012.

Nuno Espírito Santo will be keen to build a side capable of earning automatic promotion at the first attempt.

The London outfit have sold major stars like Mateus Fernandes and Crysencio Summerville already in the transfer market, and more exits could follow.

But West Ham will also be looking to bolster their squad this summer as they target a place back in the top flight.

While no additions have yet been made, time is running out to bring in fresh faces with the market set to close on 1 September.

West Ham must push for Reiss Nelson deal with Arsenal

Action Images

One player that has been linked with a possible move to the London Stadium is Arsenal forward Reiss Nelson, with the West Ham Way suggesting he is on their shortlist of targets.

The 26-year-old spent the season on loan with Brentford, where he made 10 appearances in the Premier League.

He contributed one assist as the team finished just outside the European places, losing out to Brighton in the race for seventh due to an inferior goal difference.

It’s been claimed that Nelson is keen to remain in London if he did depart Arsenal, which is not too surprising given his other loan in the last couple of seasons was with Fulham.

The forward has gained plenty of Premier League experience over the years despite being unable to break into Mikel Arteta’s group of core players at the Emirates.

Nelson has played in the top flight on 68 occasions, including 47 times for the Gunners.

If he can be convinced to drop down to the Championship, then he has the potential to be a promising addition to Espírito Santo’s side.

The Hammers are in need of a replacement for Summerville, and Nelson would be a natural fit to take on his role on the left flank.

While he has never quite been able to nail down a starting role in the top flight, the second division could offer him the pathway to regular game time and to really show what he can do.

West Ham's only other main option to play in that role at the moment is Maxwel Cornet, who is not a player that the club should be looking to rely on next season.

Nelson has much more to offer than Cornet, who has done nothing at the London Stadium since from Burnley in the 2022 summer window.

The Arsenal winger's loan spell with Fulham provides the best up-to-date statistical profile of his style of play, where he completed an impressive 2.4 dribbles per 90, with a 50 per cent success rate (all stats from Fotmob).

The 26-year-old also created 2.4 shots each game, while taking 2.21 shots himself, which led to a combined expected goals and expected assists (xG+xA) of 0.38 per 90.

Of course, it was a tricky year on loan at Brentford where he was in and out of the team, but if he can replicate this level of attacking output for West Ham then he has the potential to be a smart signing.

Action Images

Bringing Nelson in as a possible loan signing would open up room for West Ham to spend more significantly in other areas.

It’s likely that the Hammers will want two left-wingers, as well as a striker and a midfielder before the transfer window shuts.

The 26-year-old coming in on loan would be a shrewd move by the London outfit, as he could be a great option to have in the squad for a gruelling Championship campaign.

And if he performs well, then that could open the door to a permanent move in the summer, particularly if he helps the club gain promotion.

With Simon Adingra also on West Ham’s shortlist, finding a way to bring both to the London Stadium, while also getting Cornet off the books, would put the squad in a much better place.

Given the number of signings the Championship side may look to make in the coming weeks, Nelson arriving on loan would be a smart piece of business and it’s a move that should work for all parties.