Full Circle: Reiss Nelson Completes Free Transfer to Feyenoord
How the Move Came Together
Arsenal confirmed last week that they had agreed to terminate Nelson’s contract by mutual consent, making the 26-year-old a free agent with immediate effect. That freedom from the standard transfer deadline gave him room to properly weigh his options — and reports suggest there was briefly interest from West Ham United, at a fee of around £3m, though that move stalled as the Hammers explored other targets.
In the end, Nelson opted for a reunion. According to transfer insider Fabrizio Romano, personal terms were agreed and the winger passed his medical with Feyenoord this week, completing the move as a free agent.
Why Feyenoord Makes Sense
The choice isn’t a surprise to anyone who followed Nelson’s career closely. He first arrived at De Kuip on loan back in the 2021-22 season, under then-manager Arne Slot, and quickly became a fan favourite — contributing to Feyenoord’s run to the inaugural UEFA Europa Conference League final. That loan spell produced four goals and seven assists in 32 appearances, by some distance the most productive extended run of Nelson’s career.
Feyenoord’s current management view this second spell as low-risk business: a proven quantity, already familiar with the club and its supporters, arriving for nothing.
The Numbers on His Arsenal Career
Nelson joined Arsenal’s academy at just eight years old and progressed through Hale End to make his first-team debut in the 2017 FA Community Shield. Across 18 years at the club, he made 90 senior appearances, scoring eight goals and providing nine assists — modest output reflecting a career defined more by loan spells than sustained first-team opportunity, with stints at Hoffenheim, Feyenoord, Fulham and, most recently, Brentford.
His departure carries symbolic weight for Arsenal too. With Nelson gone, the current first-team squad no longer contains a single player who featured under Arsene Wenger, closing a chapter that stretches back to before the debut of former club captain Tony Adams.
What’s Next
For Nelson, the move represents a genuine chance at a fresh start somewhere he’s previously thrived — a platform to play regularly and establish himself as a primary attacking option, something that largely eluded him during his time in north London. For Arsenal, it’s a tidy piece of housekeeping that clears a squad spot and a contract off the books as Arteta continues to reshape his attacking options around Havertz, Saka, Eze and the club’s growing group of young forwards.