Fulham are in talks with Arsenal for Emile Smith-Rowe, who Marco Silva considers a big target, as the Gunners could sell.
Football Insider said Fulham initiated talks with Arsenal for Emile Smith-Rowe. The 23-year-old homegrown player may no longer feature in Mikel Arteta’s plans ahead of the new season, with the Gunners likely to demand significantly from his sale.
Fulham initiates Emile Smith-Rowe talks
Marco Silva has stayed attentive to market situations and is looking for a new attacking midfielder. The Portuguese boss fears there could be a few outgoings, including Andreas Pereira, who has the interest of a few Premier League sides. The Cottagers’ boss could actively seek a replacement.
Silva has considered several names for a while now, and Emile Smith-Rowe is a player of interest to the Cottagers boss. The 23-year-old homegrown player at Arsenal struggled for relevance over the last two seasons after his breakthrough campaign in 2022-23.
The Gunners may have lost all patience with him, as reports have suggested they are willing to sell and want at least £25 million. However, things have changed in the background, as Arsenal do not want to sell on the cheap, meaning the north Londoners might also demand a significant move for their 23-year-old homegrown player.
Fulham have initiated talks with Arsenal over a move for Smith-Rowe, as an offer could be forthcoming. They made one, as per Sky Sports’ Dharmesh Sheth, who reports that the Gunners have turned down a bid from the Cottagers and Crystal Palace.
Will Smith-Rowe want to leave Arsenal?
The central part of his injury-led absence happened during the 2022-23 season between September 2022 and January 2023, when he missed 21 games. After that, he was in and out of Arteta’s side, and last season, he made a decent number of appearances; the game at the Emirates might have already gone past him.
While he remains a profile that Arteta would continue to admire, selling him right now might be the right decision for Arsenal. Hence, regardless of whether Smith-Rowe likes it, he might have to take up a new challenge away from the Gunners if he wants to fulfil the promise of becoming one of the top players.
