West Ham are closing in on the signature of Arsenal winger Reiss Nelson, according to BBC journalist Sami Mokbel.
Speaking on the Latte Firm YouTube channel, Mokbel said there are no problems in terms of the transfer fee, but his contract remains an outstanding issue:
“The deal between West Ham and Arsenal is relatively close. I think it’s quite close for around £3m if it was a permanent [move]. I think where the ‘i’s need to be dotted, and the ‘t’s need to be crossed is just in terms of personal terms and if they can come to an arrangement.”
“Obviously, how much he would get paid at West Ham, and I think that he also needs to sort out the remainder of the money on his contract at Arsenal as well. If that can get sorted in the next few days, I think that is a deal.”
How much is Nelson earning at the moment?
The winger is on £100,000 a week, which means he has around £5m left on his current deal with the Gunners. If he is looking for a payoff before he leaves the Emirates, it could delay a transfer.
In terms of what West Ham would be willing to pay Nelson, he would be expected to take a lower salary than he is currently on.
Following the club’s relegation to the Championship, all first-team players had their wages cut. The highest earner, club captain Jarrod Bowen, was taking home £150,000 a week, but that is likely to have dropped after agreeing to sign a revised contract last month.
Who else are West Ham looking to sign?
The Irons remain in negotiations to sign ex-Tottenham player Troy Parrott from AZ Alkmaar. At the moment, the two sides are quite far apart on the transfer fee.
It is believed that Leeds United’s Joel Piroe is a potential alternative if a move for the Republic of Ireland international doesn’t come off.