Chelsea considering late Emile Smith Rowe swoop

Chelsea might look to sign 23-year-old English attacker Emile Smith Rowe from Arsenal before the summer transfer window shuts down.

According to a report by Daily Mail, Emile Smith Rowe is the subject of interest from Chelsea. The Blues are scouring the market for offensive reinforcements ahead of the summer transfer deadline. And the 23-year-old Arsenal attacker is one of the options on their radar over a move in the coming days.

Emile Smith Rowe has endured a frustrating last 12 months after falling down the pecking order at Arsenal. The versatile English attacker was one supposed to be a long-term midfield and offensive solution for the North London club. But he has become a peripheral figure since the start of the 2022/23 season.

Fitness issues plagued the 23-year-old last season, and he barely featured for Arsenal due to that. But things have gone from bad to worse for Smith Rowe at the start of the 2023/24 season. And he has only managed three minutes of game time thus far, with that game time coming off the bench in the Community Shield match.

Despite Smith Rowe’s fall in stature, widespread reports have claimed that the player is not surplus to requirements at Arsenal. But with game time being hard to come by for the youngster, a move away from the Emirates might be in his best interests. And Chelsea will look to prise him away from Arsenal before Friday’s transfer deadline.

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The Blues are in the market for an offensive reinforcement heading into the final days of the summer transfer window. And they will prefer to sign a versatile attacker to shore up multiple positions. Players like Ferran Torres have thus emerged on Chelsea’s radar. And Emile Smith Rowe is also a viable target for the West London club.

The 23-year-old might have lost prominence at Arsenal but can still do a job for Chelsea. And his ability to reprise roles centrally and on the left flank makes him an attractive target for the West London club. But it is unclear if Arsenal will strengthen a rival club by selling the out-of-favour Englishman to them.

Smith Rowe might not be high on Mikel Arteta’s list of top players in his squad. But considering he can become an asset for Chelsea, Arsenal should avoid selling the out-of-favour 23-year-old to the Blues. So, it will be interesting to see if a summer move sees the light of day.