Fulham are reportedly close to finding an agreement with Emile Smith Rowe that could match Arsenal’s sales record.
According to David Ornstein of The Athletic, Fulham are closing in on an agreement to sign Emile Smith Rowe from Arsenal. The Cottagers have been chasing the 23-year-old Arsenal utility man in this window and may have found a way to bring him to Craven Cottage.
Emile Smith Rowe to join Fulham?
Only days ago did some reports mention that Arsenal intend to hold on to Emile Smith-Rowe in this window as Mikel Arteta views him as part of his plans for the season. Days later, there is concrete reporting from David Ornstein that Fulham and the Gunners are close to finding an agreement.
The 23-year-old Arsenal utility man has been on the periphery of Arteta’s first team, yet the manager had faith in the homegrown star to come good. Since his stellar season in 2021/22, the academy graduate has suffered some injuries, which coincided with a growth spurt at Arsenal and have seen him fall behind proceedings.
Arsenal rejected Fulham’s bid earlier, and now they are reportedly close to an agreement over a £35 million sale. At that rate, they will match their record outgoing, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, to Liverpool back in 2017.
The significant indication came in the form of Arteta’s words, which ad for their pre-season friendly against Bournemouth, where Smith Rowe was visibly absent from the squad. The Gunners boss said, “Yeah, there are things happening in the background at the moment and we decided the best thing to do was to keep him away from the game today.”
What next for Smith Rowe?
Smith Rowe has been with Arsenal all his life and would have loved to forge a long-term career at the club. However, the game has moved in front of him, and while Arteta would have loved to keep him, he does represent a good value if they can achieve the 35 million for him.
He will have his chance to shine at Fulham under the progressive Marco Silva, and should he perform at his absolute best, there is always the chance of a return to North London in the future. For now, he will want to regain his form, become his best version for the Cottagers, and keep himself injury-free for most parts.
