Reiss Nelson has admitted he is in regular communication with ex-Arsenal striker Robin van Persie in news that may raise eyebrows among the Gunners faithful.
While Van Persie's talent is undeniable, his legacy with the north London outfit was severely tarnished when he upped sticks from the Emirates to ply his trade for fierce rivals Manchester United - where he went on to win the 2012/13 Premier League title, hardly making his Arsenal exit any easier from a fan's perspective.
As a result, some supporters may resent the idea of the Dutchman having a quiet word with one of their own Hale End graduates, but Nelson has revealed he is all too grateful for the words of wisdom given he had some bad habits to break.
"Yeah, I speak with him," Nelson told The Athletic. "Sometimes he comes over on a Wednesday, before Europa Conference League games on a Thursday. I ask him about what positions I need to be getting in. Certain movements I need to be doing, certain finishes."
Though some may suggest Nelson has not progressed as quickly as they'd have hoped, especially with the backdrop of players like Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe - both at least one year Nelson's junior, playing regularly in the Gunners first-team.
However, Nelson clearly has some degree of pride in the progress he has made from his early days in north London. "Coming through the ranks (at Arsenal), I was - not fearless - but I just didn't care how many training sessions I would do outside of Arsenal.
HAVE YOUR SAY! Does Reiss Nelson still have a future at Arsenal? Comment below
"I didn't really care what I was eating. I was maybe staying up too late and I was just doing a lot of different stuff. But now, I actually need those extra hours to recover. At the start, I hated going to the gym just to do little stretches.
"Now I literally have to come in earlier to do 15 minutes of stretching, then come back in after training to do extra bits on my groin or my hamstrings." Nelson's Arsenal career stagnated prior to his loan switch, with first-team football particularly hard to come by.
The emergence of Saka and Martinelli ensured both flanks were occupied for the foreseeable future, while injuries were also a factor in his Arsenal demise. Ironically, it was a similar situation for Van Persie for large parts of his Gunners stay, with the treatment table seemingly never too far away for the forward.
History shows how Van Persie shook off those knocks to become one of the finest talents the Premier League has ever seen, something Nelson will undoubtedly aspire to - even if it has to come away from the Emirates.
