Arsenal are set to turn to Reiss Nelson as their replacement for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who is set to join Liverpool.
Nelson is highly regarded within the Arsenal setup and manager Arsene Wenger had always intended to give the young winger senior game time over the coming months.
Standard Sport understands that many within the Emirates hierarchy view him as ready to fill the void in Wenger’s squad left by Oxlade-Chamberlain, though he is unlikely to be as regular a presence in the Arsenal side as the England international was.
Those opportunities will only increase with Oxlade-Chamberlain’s £40million departure, not least because Arsenal find themselves with minimal time to acquire a replacement before the transfer window closes on Thursday.
Contrary to reports earlier this month Nelson has not formally joined the first team but such an elevation appears inevitable for the 17-year-old, widely considered to be the brightest young prospect in the Hale End youth setup.
Nelson was among the star performers during Arsenal’s pre-season, where he notably played in the right wing-back role that Oxlade-Chamberlain has often filled since Wenger switched to a 3-4-2-1 in April.
The Elephant and Castle-born winger has continued in the same vein for the Arsenal youth sides, where he has looked a cut above his contemporaries, scoring stunning goals against Derby County and Liverpool at Under-23 level.
Nelson signed his first professional contract last December which is understood to run until the summer of 2019.
