Crystal Palace have opened talks for Reiss Nelson, with a bid anticipated in the coming days as there are other sides present in the race.
According to Caught Offside, Crystal Palace are emerging in front of the queue for Reiss Nelson, with the Arsenal star ready to leave the Emirates. The Eagles could make an offer worth €10 million, although the Gunners value the winger around €25 million, with other clubs, including Fulham and West Ham United, keen as well.
Crystal Palace in Reiss Nelson talks
Reiss Nelson has clearly not progressed within the Arsenal side, and his lack of minutes last season showed Mikel Arteta may not trust him at all. In fact, the most minutes he got in the second half of the campaign was when Bukayo Saka could not carry on, as the Gunners could cash in on their academy star.
While the Gunners value him at around €25 million, Crystal Palace are prepared to make an opening bid of €10 million to test Arsenal’s resolve. It is merely a formality with such a low offer, as further negotiations could see the two clubs hit the middle ground in terms of the final valuations.
Nelson will want a new challenge where he gets ample minutes, and Crystal Palace might be the place for him. They have been keen on the winger for some time, as they might anticipate the departure of Michael Olise. However, the Arsenal academy graduate may not be the like-for-like signing the Crystal Palace fans might be hoping for.
Either way, he is a valuable commodity in the current market, with his homegrown status likely to play an even bigger role when determining his price point. Arsenal are about to sell some of their other homegrown stars like Emile Smith Rowe and Eddie Nketiah alongside the €25 million-rated winger, which would help them immensely in building up their summer budget.
West Ham and Fulham are competing for Nelson
Crystal Palace might be seen at the front of the queue for Nelson for now. But they are not alone in the race, as West Ham and Fulham also hold concrete interest. The London pair are looking for a quality wide attacker to add depth to their squad and might see the €25 million-rated Arsenal attacker as a perfect fit in their environment.
Hence, Crystal Palace might have to accelerate their pursuit of the Arsenal man and find consensus on the transfer fee as soon as possible. The interest from other clubs might help Arsenal drive the price even ahead and get it closer to their €25 million valuation.
