Football General Manager
- Fulham keen to re-sign Nelson
- Have started negotiations with the Gunners
- A loan deal is likely to be thrashed out
According to The BBC a loan arrangement appears the most likely outcome at this stage, and all parties involved are believed to be working toward a swift resolution. Arsenal‘s pre-season schedule adds urgency to the matter, with the club due to depart for their Asia tour on Saturday. Finalising Nelson’s future before that date could help avoid unnecessary disruption.
Nelson spent the previous campaign on loan at Fulham but struggled for consistent game time due to fitness concerns. He made 13 appearances across all competitions before an untimely injury brought his season to a premature close. Despite those setbacks, Fulham remain interested in the versatile attacker, viewing him as a valuable addition as they look to inject more pace and dynamism into their frontline.
The potential departure of Nelson could also clear the way for the arrival of Noni Madueke, who is on the verge of swapping Chelsea for Arsenal in a high-profile £52 million ($70 million) deal. Madueke missed Chelsea’s Club World Cup final victory to finalise details of his switch and is expected to undergo a medical this week. Madueke would bolster Arsenal’s options on the right side of attack, where Bukayo Saka has largely been unchallenged over the past few seasons.
If Fulham do secure a deal for Nelson, it would mark their first signing of what has otherwise been a quiet summer in terms of recruitment. The winger will hope that his second coming will be more fruitful than the first.