Arsenal academy graduate Emile Smith Rowe is likely to leave the club this summer, with several Premier League clubs expressing interest in the 23-year-old midfielder. Smith Rowe is considering a departure from the Emirates due to a severe lack of game time over the past two seasons.
Smith Rowe joined Arsenal’s Hale End Academy as a 10-year-old in 2010. The Englishman made his first-team debut in September 2018 against Vorskla Poltava in the UEFA Europa League at just 18 years old.
Two successive loan spells at RB Leipzig and Huddersfield Town aided his development. Smith Rowe was on the fringes of the first-team squad for two years following these loans but broke into the starting XI in the 2020-21 season. The following season saw him enjoy his best form at North London, making 33 appearances in the Premier League and scoring 10 goals.
However, fitness issues and the arrivals of Martin Ødegaard and Declan Rice have kept Smith Rowe out of the starting XI for the past two seasons. The England international has made just three starts in the Premier League in the last two years. With Arsenal looking for another midfielder this summer, it appears unlikely that Smith Rowe is in Mikel Arteta’s plans for the future.
Fulham, Aston Villa, and Crystal Palace are reportedly interested in the midfielder, with Arsenal demanding a fee of £30 million for their academy graduate. A creative force at his best and a hard worker off the ball, Smith Rowe would be a fine addition for any Premier League team.
Given the Gunners’ ongoing search for a midfielder, there is a small possibility that Arteta might give Smith Rowe another chance in the first-team squad. His homegrown status also helps with registration rules in continental competitions. If Arsenal fail to find a suitable candidate in their midfield hunt, a strong preseason showing from Smith Rowe could earn him another opportunity to prove himself.
