Arsenal’s development this season has been staggering, with the Gunners looking like an entirely different entity under Unai Emery.  

The Spaniard has improved the squad dramatically, both in terms of the personnel available and the tactics that he’s employing, with attractive football being played at the Emirates right now.

It will be interesting to see whether the Gunners look to bring anyone in during January, but one man that they’re apparently after is Nicolas Pepe. He’s a winger playing over in France with Lille, and Arsenal are reportedly eager to add a bit of attacking talent to their ranks, according to the Times.

Now, whilst Pepe is obviously a good player, it wouldn’t be wise for Arsenal to sign players unnecessarily. They’ve got lots of players within their ranks already, and there’s one man out on loan that could be of particular use also.

Reiss Nelson is emerging as one of their most exciting young players, and so perhaps instead of signing Pepe, recalling the versatile attacker may make more sense.

There’s no point spending big on a foreign talent, when you’ve got someone so good already on home turf.

Nelson has enjoyed a remarkable rise this season, with the Englishman now undeniably one of Europe’s brightest young talents. It just goes to show how influential a loan move can be. Over the years, a handful of homegrown Englishmen have moved away on loan and achieved success, yet Nelson is, at present, outshining all of them.

The attacker, who is able to play both in midfield and further forward, has lots of energy and pace, but his best qualities come when the ball is at his feet. A brilliant dribbler, he’s able to pick the ball up and drive into space, and from there he’s able to move past players with relative ease, such is the quality of the 18-year-old. He’s got bags of tricks in his locker, and that’s served him very well thus far.

He’s also a very capable passer of the ball. He’s able to dribble past players, of course, but he’s also just as good at picking out a pass that many others might not see. So, clearly, his quality as a playmaker is evident.

Naturally, though, as his time at Hoffenheim this season highlights, he’s lethal in front of goal. He’s bagged 6 league goals so far this term, which is more than many of Arsenal’s current attacking players. He’s got a fantastic shot on him, and perhaps even more so, he’s got an uncanny ability of getting into space and the correct positions. His goals aren’t always wonder-strikes, often they’re just tap-ins, but he always manages to get into the right spot.

Whilst he tends to play more centrally over in Germany, Nelson is a perfectly natural fit further out wide. He’d be able to cut in and drive towards goal whilst making use of his pace and energy to rampage down the wings.

For Arsenal, then, bringing back Nelson makes so much sense. There’s no point spending big on a foreign talent, when you’ve got someone so good already on home turf.

Thoughts?