Fulham are set to face competition from Napoli and Aston Villa for the signing of Emile Smith Rowe from Arsenal, according to reports.
The Cottagers have been heavily linked with the 23-year-old recently and are understood to be making him their ‘priority target’ this summer.
Smith Rowe is likely to seek a move away from his boyhood club this summer as he finds himself behind Martin Odegaard in the battle to be Arsenal’s starting attacking midfielder.
Although disrupted by injury, Smith Rowe was limited to just 13 Premier League appearances last season, while only four of his 19 outings across all competitions came from the start.
Nevertheless, Smith Rowe’s 2021/22 Premier League campaign where he notched 10 goals and two assists still lives fresh in the memory and there’s no doubt the three-time England international could yet become a star if given consistent minutes.
Fulham to face competition for Smith Rowe signature
Although Marco Silva is keen to add Smith Rowe to his attacking unit, it may be tough for the Cottagers to convince the midfielder to make the move.
According to a report from talkSPORT, Italian giants Napoli are looking to bring Smith Rowe on board as part of their summer rebuild after dropping to 10th in Serie A just a year after winning the title.
Aston Villa are also understood to be admirers of Smith Rowe, although they would have to sell players first in order to fund any summer spending.
But if Unai Emery can offload some squad members, there’s no doubt he will hold an edge in negotiations given he can offer Champions League football.
Smith Rowe also made nine appearances for Arsenal during Emery’s tenure across the 2018/19 and 2019/20 campaigns, scoring three goals.
