Arsenal fans will be relieved that it’s only a loan
Reiss Nelson has joined German club Hoffenheim on a year long loan for the 2018/19 season.
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Hoffenheim have signed @ReissNelson9 on loan from @Arsenal until 30 June 2019! #WelcomeReiss pic.twitter.com/1KohMqLbni
— TSG Hoffenheim EN (@tsghoffenheimEN) August 31, 2018
The 18-year-old signed a contract extension with Arsenal before heading out on loan, to the relief of Arsenal fans who feared he may be heading for a permanent exit.
Nelson joins a growing list of young English players to have moved to the Bundesliga in search of first team football, after Reece Oxford, Ademola Lookman and Jadon Sancho joined Borussia Mönchengladbach, RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund respectively.
Arsenal boss Unai Emery explained that Nelson’s loan move should benefit all three parties.
“It’s a very big chance for him and the level there is important,” said Arsenal’s head caoch. “We think because he is very young, he needs to take a new level to play, a new level also to take minutes, to take experience.
“We decided together: club, coaches and the player. It’s a good chance for him to take minutes in and play, and then come back with us because I think he is signing a new contract with us.”
Hoffenheim boss Julian Nagelsmann believes Nelson will help replace the attacking prowess that Serge Gnabry gave his side last season, with the former Arsenal player returning to his parent club Bayern Munich.
“Reiss has similar traits to Serge, which is his pace in one-on-one situations,” said Nagelsmann.
“These are qualities that we don’t have much of in the squad. It was my wish that we replenish those qualities again.
“If it works, we get a player with a lot of speed, who can do a lot of things.”
