Fulham are close to an agreement to sign Reiss Nelson on a season-long loan from Arsenal. The Cottagers were always intent on signing a winger on deadline day and had an agreement in place for the £16million signing of Ernest Nuamah, but that hit a late snag. Fulham promptly turned attentions to Nelson, which saw newly promoted Ipswich miss out.
The transfer window has closed but business is not finished. The transfer window has now closed, but Arsenal have not finished their business quite yet. The Gunners have two deal sheets pending — one to loan in Raheem Sterling and another to loan Reiss Nelson to Fulham. Deal sheets are the the paperwork that allows clubs to extend the transfer deadline. They’re a statement of intent and outline of a deal that satisfies the Premier League requirements and allows the clubs to finalize and fill-in the minor details and paperwork within two hours of submission or 1 am.
Both deals are expected to be completed well before the clock runs out and both moves should go through. Nelson was extremely close to moving to Ipswich Town, so close that I’d written an entire post in preparation that will now go into the bin, before deciding that he’d prefer a move across London. He’ll be reunited with former Hale End teammates Alex Iwobi and Emile Smith Rowe, as well as former Arsenal keeper Bernd Leno, at Craven Cottage.
Nelson's Journey: From Hale End to Craven Cottage
Nelson, a product of Arsenal’s renowned Hale End academy, has long been considered one of the club’s most promising talents. He made his first-team debut for Arsenal in 2017 at the age of 17 during a UEFA Europa League match against BATE Borisov. His early performances caught the eye, and he quickly established himself as a player with immense potential.
Throughout his time at Arsenal, Nelson has shown flashes of brilliance, particularly during loan spells at Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga, where he scored seven goals in 23 appearances during the 2018/19 season. His pace, dribbling ability, and versatility across the front line made him a valuable asset for Arsenal, but consistent first-team opportunities have been hard to come by.
During the 2023/24 season, Nelson made 639 minutes of first-team appearances for Arsenal, finding himself on the periphery of Mikel Arteta’s plans.
Throughout the summer, Nelson had been linked with several clubs, including Leicester City and West Ham United.
John Percy of The Telegraph recently reported that Leicester remained interested in Nelson despite concerns over his significant wages, reportedly exceeding £120,000 a week. However, Leicester’s budget constraints prevented any concrete progress in their pursuit.
The Ipswich Connection: A Near-Miss Transfer
Reiss Nelson is in advanced talks to join Ipswich Town on a season-long loan from Arsenal, the East Anglian Daily Times and Ipswich Star understands. Should a deal be completed, it would likely end the Blues' pursuit of Armando Broja due to the limit of two Premier League loans in a single season. We understand that a move for the striker is looking 'less and less likely'.
Ipswich Town transfer target Reiss Nelson is set to seal a last-minute move to Fulham, the East Anglian Daily Times and Ipswich Star understands. The Arsenal winger had initially chosen to join the Blues on loan, freeing up space for Raheem Sterling to join the Gunners from Chelsea this evening.
Nelson was reportedly heading to Suffolk for his medical after talks had progressed to an advanced stage, but had his head turned by late interest from the Cottagers. The 24-year-old will now head to London to sign a season-long loan deal with Marco Silva's side, although he won't be registered in time to face Town at Portman Road tomorrow. Fulham have submitted a deal sheet to get the deal done.
Following the departures of Freddie Ladapo (released), Marcus Harness (Derby County, loan) and George Edmundson (Middlesbrough, loan), Ipswich's squad is at 25 players, the maximum number for the Premier League campaign. The on-again off-again move for Chelsea's Armando Broja has also collapsed, with Town's transfer business complete for the summer. Kieran McKenna's side have added 12 new faces to their squad.
The Sterling Factor: A Crucial Piece of the Puzzle
The loan switch will open up space for Raheem Sterling to move to the Emirates from Chelsea, as first called by Fabrizio Romano. Mikel Arteta worked with Sterling at Manchester City and Sterling over Nelson will be viewed as an upgrade to his attacking options.
Speaking of reunions, Raheem Sterling will be reunited with Mikel Arteta, who was his assistant coach at Manchester City. Sterling has spoken highly of Arteta’s coaching, crediting him with helping his development. The winger has specifically talked about how Arteta helped him improve his body shape when receiving the ball so he is better prepared and positioned to make his next move.
The Future of Nelson: A Fresh Start at Fulham
The 24-year-old has been linked with West Ham, Crystal Palace and original suitors Ipswich this summer but he has moved to Craven Cottage after being guaranteed more regular football. Should he sign for Fulham, he will reunited with Emile Smith Rowe, Alex Iwobi and Bernd Leno.
The 24-year-old Arsenal academy graduate’s game time was limited last season and approaches for him arrived in January, however they were rejected as Arsenal competed for the Premier League and Champions League. He made his senior Arsenal debut in 2017 but was restricted to just one Premier League start last season and a further 14 appearances from the bench as Mikel Arteta’s side finished second in the league to Manchester City.
A move to Fulham would see him join up with fellow Arsenal academy graduate Emile Smith Rowe, who joined the club in a record transfer this summer. Ipswich and Fulham meet in the Premier League on Saturday. The transfer window has closed but business is not finished. The transfer window has now closed, but Arsenal have not finished their business quite yet. The Gunners have two deal sheets pending — one to loan in Raheem Sterling and another to loan Reiss Nelson to Fulham. Deal sheets are the the paperwork that allows clubs to extend the transfer deadline. They’re a statement of intent and outline of a deal that satisfies the Premier League requirements and allows the clubs to finalize and fill-in the minor details and paperwork within two hours of submission or 1 am.
Both deals are expected to be completed well before the clock runs out and both moves should go through. Nelson was extremely close to moving to Ipswich Town, so close that I’d written an entire post in preparation that will now go into the bin, before deciding that he’d prefer a move across London. He’ll be reunited with former Hale End teammates Alex Iwobi and Emile Smith Rowe, as well as former Arsenal keeper Bernd Leno, at Craven Cottage.
