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Arsenal should be ecstatic about Reiss Nelson’s impressive form in the Bundesliga

By Quinn Allen

01 December 2018, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Sinsheim: Soccer: Bundesliga, 1899 Hoffenheim - FC Schalke 04, 13th matchday, in the Rhein-Neckar-Arena. Hoffenheim's Reiss Nelson plays the ball. Photo: Uwe Anspach/dpa - IMPORTANT NOTE: In accordance with the requirements of the DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga or the DFB Deutscher Fußball-Bund, it is prohibited to use or have used photographs taken in the stadium and/or the match in the form of sequence images and/or video-like photo sequences. (Photo by Uwe Anspach/picture alliance via Getty Images)
01 December 2018, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Sinsheim: Soccer: Bundesliga, 1899 Hoffenheim - FC Schalke 04, 13th matchday, in the Rhein-Neckar-Arena. Hoffenheim's Reiss Nelson plays the ball. Photo: Uwe Anspach/dpa - IMPORTANT NOTE: In accordance with the requirements of the DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga or the DFB Deutscher Fußball-Bund, it is prohibited to use or have used photographs taken in the stadium and/or the match in the form of sequence images and/or video-like photo sequences. (Photo by Uwe Anspach/picture alliance via Getty Images) /
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The Arsenal loanee has been spectacular with Hoffenheim this season as a first team regular. The 19-year chose to go on loan to the German side in order to get more playing time.

Reiss Nelson has become a household name this season in the Bundesliga as one of the brightest young stars along with fellow Englishman and friend Jadon Sancho of Borussia Dortmund. Nelson saw just five appearances across all competitions with the Gunners last season, mostly as a substitute. He did win Premier League 2 player of the year last season though for Arsenal’s second team, netting nine times in just 11 appearances.

That form has carried over to the Bundesliga this season with Hoffenheim. The young striker has bagged six goals in 13 appearances this season in league play. He’s primarily coming off the bench, starting just five games but has racked up 490 minutes of play this year. When Nelson has come on though, he’s posing a serious threat on the attack with his tremendous pace and skill.

The Bundesliga is a great place to develop

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The Bundesliga is a proven league where young players get a chance to develop and improve, and that’s exactly what is happening for Nelson at Hoffenheim.

He is under a very young coach in Julian Nagelsmann who is just 31-years old. Nagelsmann took charge of the German side two years ago at just 29-years old and led his side into Champions League competition this year. When you get a young coach like this, they are automatically going to be inclined to using their younger players because they have that type of mindset. In the Premier League, there is barely any teenagers who are first-team regulars. Marcus Rashford is one of the only exceptions with Manchester United.  Nelson even said himself in an interview with Daily Mail UK that one of the reasons he wanted to play for Hoffenheim is because of the young coach.

"‘Julian’s a great manager and he’s got belief in young players so it’s a good place for me to go and play.‘He’s [Nagelsmann] very young, he’s only 31 and I think it’s important to go to a team and a coach who believes in you, so he was the main reason because he is willing to play us.’-Reiss Nelson"

Sancho is a perfect example of another young English player who is thriving in the Bundesliga. He has emerged as one of the best attackers in the league after sitting on the bench at Manchester City 14 months ago. The youngster has scored six goals and tallied seven assists in 17 appearances this year for Dortmund, who currently sit in first place.

Back to Nelson. His impressive form this year almost earned him a call-up to the English national team, with Gareth Southgate voicing that the youngster is on the verge of seeing a stint with the senior squad. There’s absolutely no chance he would even be in the talks about a national team call-up if he was still playing with Arsenal’s second team.

It’s very tough to break into the Premier League as a young player because all the managers have an old-school approach. They are timid to use teenagers because they’re young and usually inconsistent, therefore they don’t really get the chance.

The youngest manager in the Premier League is Eddie Howe of Bournemouth at 41-years old. In the Bundesliga, there are a handful of coaches under the age of 40, with Nagelsmann and Hannes Wolf of Hamburg both in their 30s. These younger coaches love to give the teenagers a chance to show themselves.

Arsenal should want Reiss Nelson back for next season

Nelson has slowed down recently, after scoring six goals in his first seven Bundesliga games. But regardless, the pure talent is there. He has tremendous skill with the ball at his feet and has also shown the ability to beat numerous defenders using his strong frame and speed. He is a clinical finisher who is also extremely versatile because he can play up front or as a winger.

Arsenal lacks creativity on their flanks, so based on what Reiss Nelson has been doing in the Bundesliga, they should most certainly want him back for next season. Chances are he won’t be a starter if he came back to England after this loan spell, but he can be a threat off the bench who would bring tons of promise in the final third. If they wanted to, they could even let Nelson develop for another season with Hoffenheim.

The Bundesliga isn’t on the same level as the Premier League, but it’s still a top five league in the world with tremendous players. The fact that Reiss Nelson made the move to Germany and excelled so quickly is a huge testament to his character and talent.

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Arsenal has no choice but to be very happy with how Reiss Nelson is playing in the Bundesliga.

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