Arsenal attacking midfielder Emile Smith Rowe is reportedly ready to move to another Premier League club this summer as there is some doubt over his long-term future at the Emirates Stadium.
The 23-year-old is a top talent and initially looked like a hugely exciting addition to the Arsenal first-team after rising up through their academy, but a combination of injury problems and increased competition for places in Mikel Arteta’s side has seen him fall out of favour.
According to Charles Watts via the Daily Briefing, there are now talks scheduled to sort out Smith Rowe’s future ahead of this summer, with clubs in England and abroad showing an interest in the player’s situation.
The report states that Smith Rowe would prefer to stay in the Premier League if he does end up leaving the Gunners, but it’s not yet entirely clear what the outcome of these scheduled talks will be.
Smith Rowe transfer: What next for the Arsenal midfielder?
This is surely a hugely important summer for Smith Rowe, as he needs to decide one way or another if he’s going to really push to break into the Arsenal first-team, or if it’s time to pursue a career elsewhere.
It surely won’t be easy for Smith Rowe to leave the club he’s grown up with, but there comes a point where playing time is vital, and it looks increasingly challenging for him to get it in Arteta’s ever-improving squad.
Arsenal will want to be competing for the biggest trophies next season and that will mean there can be no room for sentiment, with everyone needing to get into the team based on merit alone.
Then again, there’s also surely a need for good squad depth over a long and difficult campaign, so that could mean Smith Rowe finds he’ll have a part to play, but it just depends if it will be enough to satisfy his own ambitions.
