A player can go out on loan during the final year of their contract, but it leaves the parent club with absolutely no protection if they suddenly blossom during the season.
It appears that there has been some confusion over the contract situation with Reiss Nelson at Arsenal, so this does leave the Gunners in a tough spot when it comes to his future:
Important piece of info on Reiss Nelson (and a mea culpa). His contract expires in 2022, Arsenal do not have an option as was reported at the time. It does not run until 2023 as is suggested on websites such as Transfermarkt.
Extension offer on the table, as reported yesterday.
— James Benge (@jamesbenge) July 2, 2021
The main issue comes if he doesn’t sign that extension, while there’s no sign that Arsenal have plans to use him extensively in the first-team this season so it could reach a point where Arsenal would be forced to cash in on him now if he doesn’t extend the deal.
It would depend on where he goes at the end of the contract as some kind of development fee could be collected if he stays in England, but agents know this and he could move abroad for little to no fee next summer.
He’s a highly rated player who’s caught in the awkward spot of being far too good for U23 football but not quite at the senior level for Arsenal, so the ideal situation would see him sign an extended contract and go on loan to a lower Premier League club or a stronger side in the second tier.
You also have to wonder if he’ll look at his teammates Joe Willock and Ainsley Maitland Niles and what happened with their loans last year. Both were impressive but don’t appear to be shoe-ins to play a greater role next season, so he may see this and think it’s better to move and establish himself elsewhere.