Aston Villa have received a major boost in their pursuit of Emile Smith Rowe as Arsenal are ready to part ways with the academy graduate.
According to a report by Football Transfers, Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal are ready to part ways with Emile Smith Rowe in the upcoming winter transfer window. The 23-year-old attacking midfielder has been on the radar of Aston Villa for a while now and they could now make an offer for his services.
Arsenal’s decision to part ways with their academy graduate is a major boost for Villa as their manager Unai Emery is a big fan of the England youth international. Emery has watched him up close during his time at the Emirates Stadium and he feels Smith Rowe could help bolster his already strong squad.
Villa have been the surprise contenders for the Premier League title this season with an impressive start. And, the arrival of the Arsenal ace could be a major boost for them. It can certainly help them achieve a top-four finish.
The 23-year-old has been at Arsenal since his childhood days. He came up the ranks at the north London club at some pace and made it to their first team in the summer of 2020. Smith Rowe had an impressive start to his first-team career and he even became a fan favourite.
But, injuries have hampered his progress and over time he has fallen down the pecking order under Mikel Arteta. In the ongoing season, the attacking midfielder has only managed 231 minutes of action in his eight appearances.
He is no longer a preferred choice at the club and the manager has already conveyed this to the player. The Gunners would have allowed him to leave during the summer had they signed Ilkay Gundogan. While they might have kept hold of the 23-year-old back then, they have decided to let him leave in the upcoming window if a suitable offer arrives.
Mikel Arteta has been ruthless when it has come to making cuts in the Arsenal squad and he won’t shy away from selling Smith Rowe who is a favourite having come up the ranks. The Spanish manager is looking to build the best possible team to win major titles and if offloading him helps make room for further signings, he is unlikely to think twice. Meanwhile, the Gunners have already started thinking about signing an attack-minded number eight.
