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Opinion: Are Arsenal making a mistake in knocking back the approach for Emile Smith Rowe?

By mac14 on August 31, 2023

Arsenal have plenty of players that are struggling for regular game time at the moment, with Mikel Arteta already having some strong options at his disposal within his starting XI in the early stages of this year’s Premier League campaign.

One of those that fits into the ‘struggling for minutes’ category is Emile Smith Rowe, who has been restricted to just a handful of starts over the years, which isn’t ideal for a player with his exciting potential. The 23-year-old has been with Arsenal since 2010, and has been involved in the senior squad since 2018, after making his first-team debut in that year. The creative midfielder has been out on loan with the likes of RB Leipzig and Huddersfield Town, and has come back a much better player since those temporary moves away from the Emirates Stadium.

Smith Rowe is yet to feature in any of Arsenal’s league matches in the 2023/24 season, and so it remains to be seen as to whether he’ll push for a move away from the club in search of regular game time, or whether he’ll be content to potentially occupy a spot on the substitutes bench for a considerable amount of time this season. The midfielder has been attracting interest from London rivals Chelsea, with Arsenal rejecting an approach from the Blues for Smith Rowe’s services.

Chelsea aren’t the only club that are rumoured to be keen on striking a deal to sign the midfielder though, with West Ham United seemingly being keen on a deal in the region of £40m. Now, a move to West Ham could potentially tempt Smith Rowe, as he’d be much more likely to get regular game time in the Premier League with the Hammers, as opposed to moving to Stamford Bridge, where competition for places is fierce in Mauricio Pochettino’s squad.

Smith Rowe has shown glimpses of his quality with Arsenal over the years, and he certainly brings something different to their team when he’s involved, so it wouldn’t come as much of a surprise to see Arsenal rejecting any further approaches that come their way for the youngster, who still has plenty of room to develop in senior football.

It’s been revealed by mybettingsites.co.uk that Arsenal are priced at 7/1 on Sky Bet to win the 2023/24 Premier League title. Below, you’ll find the rest of the betting odds on Sky Bet for the likely contenders for the title.

Manchester City @ 4/9
Liverpool @ 6/1
Chelsea @ 20/1
Manchester United @ 20/1
Newcastle United @ 25/1
Tottenham Hotspur @ 40/1

Odds displayed are correct as of 4:01 pm, Tuesday 29th August 2023. Odds are subject to change.

With only a couple of weeks left of the summer transfer window, it could be an interesting, yet frantic few weeks for Arsenal as they look to make a decision on Smith Rowe’s future, and it remains to be seen as to whether the Gunners midfielder will look to potentially force a move elsewhere in search of regular game time at a high level.