With the out-of-favor Englishman one of their goals in the forthcoming transfer window, Unai Emery’s team hopes to bolster the depth of their squad before their inaugural Champions League campaign the following season. Having been sidelined by a knee injury, Smith Rowe has only played 346 minutes of Premier League football this season and has found it difficult to establish himself in Mikel Arteta’s starting eleven.
The offensive midfielder, whom Arteta hailed as a “joy to watch” earlier this year, made 19 appearances across all competitions and contributed two assists for the Gunners. Smith Rowe’s playing time was even more restricted the previous season because he had groin surgery and missed the first half of the season. The 23-year-old Englishman is now looking to depart for better possibilities after seeing his playing time cut short for two seasons. Villa, whose bid for him was turned down in 2021, is still interested in him.
Smith Rowe, who has made 115 appearances for Arsenal in his career, is believed by TEAMtalk to be worth approximately £60 million. During the 2021–22 season, he made 33 Premier League appearances for the Gunners, tallying two assists and netting ten goals. Nevertheless, he suffered from injuries throughout the last two seasons and was not included in Mikel Arteta’s starting lineup. Smith Rowe acknowledged last month that his season has “been tough” since he has not played as much as he would have liked.Given that Aston Villa is keeping an eye on him, the Englishman is probably going to leave the Emirates this summer.
The Birmingham side made multiple attempts to sign Smith Rowe a few seasons ago. In 2021, Arsenal rejected their £30 million bid and chose not to entertain offers for their academy graduate. As Arsenal aims to raise funds for the upcoming transfer window and bring in reinforcements after narrowly missing out on the Premier League title, more players could follow Smith Rowe out the door.
As Mikel Arteta aims to further close the gap with Manchester City, the Gunners are eager to make additional big-money signings this summer. Following last year’s successful spending spree, which brought star-signing Declan Rice to the Emirates for a club-record fee, The Mirror reports that Arsenal are prepared to sell seven players this summer. This list includes Smith Rowe, Aaron Ramsdale, and Eddie Nketiah, all of whom have struggled for playing time under Arteta this year and may seek more first-team opportunities elsewhere.
