Aston Villa are keen on signing Arsenal outcast Reiss Nelson this summer - four years since the winger was blocked from leaving the Emirates Stadium by Unai Emery.
The 23-year-old has struggled for game time so far this season, having made just five Premier League appearances, with all of them coming from the bench. However, Nelson has still played a major role in the Gunners' title push, scoring three goals and providing two assists in 107 minutes of action - including a last-minute winner against Bournemouth in March.
But, according to the Daily Mail, Nelson is set to leave Arsenal when his contract expires at the end of the season, with former boss Emery keen to re-unite with the former England youth international. Villa are set to rival Brighton for Nelson's signature in the summer transfer window.
This comes over three years since Emery managed Nelson at Arsenal. The Spaniard was and still is a massive fan of the attacker and once blocked the player from departing the Gunners. Crystal Palace were interested in signing Nelson, who was rated at £20million, in 2019 before Emery pulled the plug on the move.
Instead, the Gunners chose to offload Alex Iwobi in the same summer to Everton in a £28m switch, despite him being above Nelson in the pecking order. Emery offered Nelson several first-team opportunities and was impressed with the player's progress, before the now-Villa boss was sacked in November 2019.
Nelson enjoyed a bright start under Mikel Arteta and scored the winner in a FA Cup tie against Leeds in the third round of the FA Cup, before further excelling in the Premier League. However, Nelson was limited to just two league appearances in 2020/21 - and decided to go out on loan last season to play regular football.
He helped Feyenoord to the Europa Conference League final last season, scoring four times in 32 matches in all competitions. Nelson returned to Arsenal in pre-season with just a year left on his contract and an attempt to break into the senior fold, but he hasn't been able to do that so far, featuring just 12 times for the Gunners.
Despite his lack of game time, Nelson could have a number of options on his plate when his contract runs out this summer. Villa are one of those interested in a move - and Emery has made the West Midlands outfit an attractive proposition based on their form since his arrival from Villarreal in November.
Villa have climbed all the way from just outside the relegation zone and up towards the Champions League places. They sit sixth, just six points behind Newcastle in fourth. Meanwhile, Brighton are another team keen and are also pushing for Europe, with the Seagulls currently seventh and a point behind Villa in the table.
