Emile Smith Rowe Arsenal transfer latest – Fulham bid rejected, Arteta stance, Crystal Palace interest

Emile Smith Rowe is the latest Arsenal star to be touted for an exit this summer after two tough years have seen him mostly sat on the sidelines at the Emirates Stadium.

After what was a promising breakthrough into the senior team for a then-20-year-old star back in 2020, the midfielder’s injuries issues combined with impressive performances from teammates Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard have kept him out of a spot in the starting XI under manager Mikel Arteta.

Despite having numerous bids worth over £30million from Aston Villa two seasons ago, they were swiftly rejected in the hope the England international would continue his noteworthy displays in the Premier League at Arsenal but since then, knee and groin issues have left him on the precipice of an exit this summer – something the stars is understood to be open to.

His own stance has in turn drummed up interest from fellow Premier League clubs willing to take a risk on the 23-year-old’s injury woes and could see him join the list of early exits from north London in this summer window. With that being said, here’s the latest on the Smith Rowe saga and his potential departure from the Emirates this summer…

Fulham bid rejected

Arsenal have rejected an opening bid from Fulham for Smith Rowe on Tuesday morning. While the star is open to a potential move after a lack of gametime in recent seasons, the Gunners are set to hold out on what they believe could be a significant figure for Smith Rowe’s services amid hopes he can help them navigate any potential issues around the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules.

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It’s said the Cottagers are planning to invest a good chunk of the funds they received from selling Joao Palhinha to Bayern Munich this summer on the 23-year-old as they prepare to send another offer.

Arteta stance

Speaking after only Smith Rowe’s second start after the Christmas break in a 2-0 win over Luton Town back in April, the Arsenal boss waxed lyrical about the midfielder and highlighted how key he was to their victory. He claimed: “I love him as a player, he is a joy to watch. How he moves, changes direction and how physical he was today without the ball.

“He went into duels and won a lot of them and was thinking with that killer instinct to play forward and make things happen. When Emile is in that moment, it’s very difficult to stop him.”

Before then, Arteta had similarly praised the star for his resilience amidst a slew of injuries over the past two years and admitted that he still saw him in his plans for the future. He said: “Yes [he’s in my plans]. I look at him & what happened, in the last two seasons especially with him, what happened three seasons ago as well.

“Take all that. It’s the best thing that could’ve happened for him in his career if he uses it in the right way now, so don’t look back & say, ‘if, if’, no, this happened, use it. That was the best thing that could’ve happened.

“‘I had a great moment, I had a difficult moment, now I know what I want & how to deal with that. That’s going to make me a much better player’. You can see the hell of a player that we have in him when he’s fit & playing at that level.”

Smith Rowe training camp

Reports earlier in the month suggested that Smith Rowe actions ahead of the club’s scheduled training camp out in Marbella show his determination to have a successful season, whether that be at Arsenal or elsewhere. He went out a week earlier than other Arsenal players in order to get a head start on his fitness over the other five stars that travelled during the European Championships earlier in the month. With two years still remaining on his current deal, Smith Rowe appears to be doing all he can to satisfy all parties that hold interest in him.

Crystal Palace interest

Crystal Palace are also said to have had a bid rejected by Arsenal for Smith Rowe, but still hold significant interest in the 23-year-old. They’ve already sold Michael Olise to Bayern Munich for £50m, meaning they will have a good chunk of spare change to throw at a deal for the Arsenal star if they hold him as a priority target.