When Goretzka arrived at Bayern from Schalke in 2018, he was revered as a modern type of midfielder, who could essentially play every position in the middle of the field.

Peter Neururer, Goretzka’s coach at his hometown club of Bochum, called him a “once-in-a-century talent” when he was 18. The sky certainly seemed the limit in the 2010s.

While he has usually served as a number six, often playing alongside good friend Joshua Kimmich for Bayern and Germany, Goretzka has been used as an emergency centre-back and as a number 10 when needed.

Being slotted behind a striker highlighted Goretzka’s strengths as a goalscorer.

His well-timed runs and stature made him a force in the air to convert crosses.

That skillset helped him at times to be picked by coaches when the competition in central midfield became increasingly tough.

As an example, Goretzka suddenly looked like a key player for Germany again in March and June 2025 when the national team played in the Nations League finals and he was employed in Nagelmann’s starting line-up.

But these spells where he was able to shine became increasingly rare in recent years.

Injuries have plagued Goretzka from a young age to a degree that we will never exactly know where his true ceiling could have been in his 20s.

He rarely suffered severe injuries but had to deal with regular setbacks for a couple of years, and often in inopportune times.

Goretzka seemed to be at the height of his powers in the 2020-21 season, coming off a Champions League triumph with Bayern during the pandemic year.

But instead of being the engine for Germany’s midfield at the European Championships in 2021, he missed the first group stage game due to the after-effect of a hamstring injury.

His only start came against England at Wembley in the round of 16.

When fit, Goretzka remained a starting XI player for Bayern until Kompany’s arrival in 2024. And even then, following a first few months as a benchwarmer, he was able to fight his way back into the starting line-up.

However, the emergence of Aleksandar Pavlovic, a Munich-born midfielder and Bayern academy graduate, eventually sealed Goretzka’s fate.

Reiss Nelson has agreed a deal with Arsenal to terminate his contract by mutual consent.

Nelson is attracting interest from clubs in England and overseas but plans to thoroughly assess his options before making a decision on his future. The Athletic reported earlier this month that West Ham United and Arsenal had held talks over a deal for Nelson.

The 26-year-old was entering the final year of his contract at the Emirates Stadium, though it included an option to extend by 12 months.

Although Arsenal now miss out on a transfer fee for Nelson, his exit represents a saving on the wage bill and there was an acknowledgement at the north London club that, at 26, he needs to be playing regular football.

The Englishman spent last season on loan at Brentford, but only appeared 13 times in all competitions for the west London side. The forward made just three starts, which came in the cup competitions, with injuries and illness forcing him to miss 10 games.

Nelson came through the academy at Arsenal and signed his first professional contract in December 2016. He made his debut in August of the following year, coming on as a substitute against Chelsea in the Community Shield.

He made sporadic first-team appearances before joining German club Hoffenheim on loan for the 2018-19 season. He scored three goals in 22 appearances in the following campaign but found game time limited in 2020-21 and subsequently joined Dutch side Feyenoord on loan in August 2021.

Nelson made occasional appearances for Arsenal over the next two seasons, signing a new contract in 2023, but was primarily used as a substitute and eventually informed the club in 2024 that he wanted to assess his options for a potential transfer that summer.

The former England Under-21 international eventually joined Fulham on loan, though his season was ended prematurely in December 2024 by a hamstring injury.

Nelson has made 90 appearances for Arsenal, scoring eight goals and providing nine assists.

Nelson leaves a fan-favourite whose enormous promise remains unfulfilled

Analysis from Arsenal writer James McNicholas

A graduate of the Hale End academy, Reiss Nelson will be most fondly remembered by Arsenal fans for his 97th-minute winner against Bournemouth in March 2023.

That goal, which sealed a 3-2 comeback win, seemed to suggest Arsenal were destined for the title. Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be. It’s perhaps an appropriate encapsulation of Nelson’s time in North London: enormous promise, largely unfulfilled.

It was Arsene Wenger who first introduced Nelson into Arsenal’s first-team environment, noting his superb technical ability. Mikel Arteta coached Nelson as a 16-year-old, and had designs on integrating him into his own squad.

Sadly, injuries have hugely hindered his progress over the subsequent decade. Loans to the likes of Fulham and Brentford were ravaged by fitness issues.

The summer after that Bournemouth goal, Nelson signed a new long-term contract. That has now been terminated. At a time when many clubs are hoping for academy players to produce “pure profit”, Arsenal will get no return on Nelson. They will, at least, make a significant salary saving.

Now aged 26, there is a recognition at Arsenal that Nelson needs to play. Hopefully he can move past his injury issues and showcase the talent the likes of Wenger and Arteta undoubtedly saw in him.