Mikel Arteta, the Arsenal manager, has made it clear that Emile Smith Rowe might be on his way out of the club in the upcoming January transfer window. Despite a promising first season in 2021-22, where Smith Rowe scored 10 Premier League goals in 33 appearances, his role at Arsenal has diminished due to injuries and the emergence of Gabriel Martinelli. In the 2023-24 season, he has only played 157 minutes and made just one start in a EFL Cup third-round victory over Brentford.
Arsenal had previously rejected transfer approaches for Smith Rowe, notably from Aston Villa in the summer of 2022. However, given his lack of playing time and dwindling prospects for first-team football, Arteta is now open to considering offers for the 23-year-old English playmaker in January. His contract with Arsenal still has three years remaining, but the possibility of a departure is gaining momentum.
Aston Villa, who had expressed interest in Smith Rowe before, might reignite their pursuit in 2024. Newcastle United is also monitoring the situation closely. Smith Rowe’s international career has also suffered due to his club struggles. Instead of the senior England team, he has been representing the Under-21s recently. In the summer, he played a role in England’s Under-21s Euros victory, but he has not made a senior England appearance since March 2022 in a friendly against Ivory Coast.
With Euro 2024 approaching, Smith Rowe is likely to seek a move away from Arsenal to enhance his chances of attracting the attention of Gareth Southgate, the England national team manager. This could mark the end of his 14-year association with Arsenal, having joined their academy at the age of 10 and made his debut at 18 in a Europa League match against Vorskla Poltava in 2018. He has contributed 18 goals and 11 assists in 103 games for the club, including loan spells at RB Leipzig and Huddersfield Town before establishing himself in the first team.
