West Ham move for Arsenal’s Reiss Nelson and agree deal for Nice defender Jean-Clair Todibo
West Ham are leading the race to sign Arsenal star Reiss Nelson, talkSPORT understands.
Nelson, who is rated at £25million, wants to leave Arsenal this summer after growing frustrated at a lack of playing time.
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Crystal Palace - who are looking to bring in replacements for Michael Olise who left for Bayern Munich earlier this month - are also interested in the ex-England under-21 international.
The 24-year-old has struggled to maintain regular minutes in Mikel Arteta's side, but is contracted until 2027.
West Ham have also agreed a deal with Nice for defender Jean-Clair Todibo.
The deal is a loan with an option to buy for £27million, although Todibo is also attracting interest from elsewhere.
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Juventus are currently the frontrunners for his signature, and the expectation is that he will join the Serie A giants instead.
That has not stopped West Ham, though, from negotiating with Nice and they are working ot tempt Todibo to London.
Man United had been eyeing the defender, but any prospect of a deal was curtailed by UEFA rules relating to United and Nice's shared ownership.
New Hammers boss Julen Lopetegui, who replaced David Moyes this summer, has already recruited three new players.
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Max Kilman joined from Wolves for £40million, whilst Luis Guilherme arrived from Palmeiras for a undisclosed fee and Wes Foderingham signed on a free.
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Meanwhile, target Nelson came through Arsenal’s academy and made his first team debut in 2017.
He signed a new four-year deal before the start of the 2023/24 season, with Arteta citing how ‘important’ Nelson was to the squad and his ‘quality’.
However, he made just one Premier League start last campaign, making 24 appearances in all competitions in total.
Nelson netted one goal - the winner in a 1-0 victory over Brentford in the League Cup - and three assists throughout the season.
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Speaking after the FA Cup clash against Liverpool, he said: "It’s good to be coming off the bench, but I want to be starting,
"I feel like I am proving myself every day in training, so with this momentum I want to go on and keep playing more."
talkSPORT also reported Brighton were interested in Nelson in March.