Exciting Arsenal Youngster Hints at Possible Emirates Departure and Opens Up on Jadon Sancho Links
Arsenal starlet Reiss Nelson has admitted he is 'very happy' on loan at Hoffenheim, and hinted that he would be open to making the move a more long-term one.
The 18-year-old is just one of the young English stars lighting up Europe early on this season, contributing four goals from just three starts and two substitute appearances at the start of his one-year loan deal.
Asked by Bundesliga.com if he could see himself extending his stay, he replied: "At the moment I’m very happy here. I’m playing, I’m scoring, but I’m an Arsenal player at the end of the day, so I have to stay and do my job here, then wherever football takes me I’ll go."
He added: "I’m liking the Bundesliga. There’s a lot of top, top defenders that you come across. It was always going to be a challenge so when I got the offer to come out here I was excited, knowing it was going to be such a big challenge for me. As a person and as a player, I wanted to take the next step."
Nelson has had to vie with Borussia Dortmund's Jadon Sancho for the attention of the English media in the Bundesliga this season, the 18-year-old scoring four goals and adding six assists in just nine league appearances – three of those off the bench – adding another goal and assist in the Champions League.
Nelson revealed that he had discussed the challenges of the league with Sancho before moving, explaining: "When I was about eight years old I heard a story that there’s a guy called Jadon Sancho, he’s from an area that’s only two minutes from where I live and he’s very good blah blah blah...and I was just like ‘yeah okay then’.
"So they put us together in a team for a match one time and it was just crazy. Since then we’ve been best friends, grown up together and he told me a lot about the Bundesliga before I came and that’s another reason why I wanted to come over here. He explained to me that I’d get used to the Bundesliga very quickly if I get down and work hard."