Arsenal have agreed to terminate Reiss Nelson’s contract by mutual consent, allowing the winger to leave the club immediately as a free agent.
Nelson had entered the final year of his Arsenal deal, which ran until June 2027 and contained an option for a further season.
However, The Athletic reports that the 26-year-old has now reached an agreement with Arsenal to end those terms early.
Nelson is attracting interest from clubs in England and overseas but intends to assess his options before deciding where to continue his career.
🚨 EXCL: Reiss Nelson agrees deal with Arsenal to terminate contract by mutual consent. Terms ran until June 2027+1 but 26yo winger leaves #AFC now as free agent. Interest from England & abroad – will assess options before deciding next step @TheAthleticFC https://t.co/7B8VV7NC6D
— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) August 27, 2026
Reiss Nelson leaves Arsenal as free agent
The decision brings Nelson’s long association with Arsenal to an end.
The Hale End graduate had struggled to establish himself as a regular under Mikel Arteta and spent recent seasons away from the Emirates on loan.
Arsenal had been trying to secure a permanent departure this summer. West Ham previously held talks with the Gunners over a possible deal, with The Standard reporting earlier this month that Arsenal had encouraged discussions.
No transfer ultimately materialised.
Instead, Arsenal and Nelson have now found another solution which allows the player to choose his next club without a transfer fee.
His future was among several outstanding departures as Arsenal entered the final days of the window. ReadArsenal recently examined the six transfer decisions still facing Mikel Arteta and Andrea Berta.
Nelson’s departure now removes one of those questions.
For Arsenal, it also means sacrificing the possibility of receiving a fee in order to clear a player who was no longer central to Arteta’s plans from the squad.
Attention will now turn to Nelson’s next destination, with interested clubs able to negotiate directly with him as a free agent.
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