Arsenal fans will definitely be having mixed feelings now that Emile Smith-Rwe’s transfer to Fulham has been confirmed. midfielder made his first team debut in September 2018, when he came on as a substitute in our 4-2 win against Vorskla Poltava, creating history as the first player born in the 2000s to debut for the club.
After a couple of very positive loans with RB Leipzig and Huddersfield, he was welcomed to the Arsenal first team alongside Bukayo Saka.
During The Gunners 2021/22 season Smith-Rowe was a beacon of light as an academy graduate enduring nearly 2,000 minutes of Premier League game time and 33 matches too in which he scored ten times with two assists to his name.
Since then the injury struck youngster has failed to cement his position in perhaps the best Arsenal team since the 2003/04 Invincible’s team.
Despite being plagued by injury in recent times the Englishman is still regarded as one of the most promising youngsters in the Premiership who could certainly benefit a mid-table side like Fulham and I would think that if he can stay fit he would play just about every game next season.
Arteta admits his regret as well as his joy on the news: “I’m sad that Emile is leaving us, but excited for him to take this new opportunity at this stage of his career, when he needs to be starting matches and playing regularly.
“Emile is loved by everyone at the club and leaves us with our gratitude, absolute respect and best wishes. We all wish Emile and his family well at Fulham.”
The Arsenal chief Edu also certainly thinks it is a very good move for the player as well as the club, as he told Arsenal.com: “Emile is loved by us all at the club. He has been with us for many years, and we are so proud that he has developed through our Academy system into our first team. It has been a positive collaboration to find the right place for Emile, where he will continue to grow and make his mark on the Premier League. We have completed an important and positive deal for everyone.
“We thank Emile for everything he gave to Arsenal and we wish him well in the next stage of his career.”
If it were up to me, I would have kept the kid, because of his enormous potential and such joy he brings to the game.
As football fans we wants to win, we wants success and trophies and by achieving that the club has to be manage in the right way.
But there is something that feels wrong when it comes to selling Smith Rowe.
The gaffer own career would have been over before it had even started under different management with less patience, strangely the legendary Frenchman would never make this sale, though one could argue, that’s partly to blame for him losing his mojo.
I often compares Smith Rowe to another Englishman Jade Bellingham, but he has one clear advantage, he’s a better striker of the ball.
Smith Rowe seems to have an intimacy with the ball, calculating the speed and spin of the ball to always ready, always perfectly place for the next action, it’s wonderful watching the Croydon kid play.
Wonderful sentiments, Gunsmoke, couldn’t agree more! I just hope the club and player would be willing to reunite sometime in the future if he passes his injuries woes and reaches the potential we know he has within.
I find myself agreeing with you 100% again Gunsmoke, especially when we still have Vieria at the club.
I believe all arsenal fans are devastated by Emiles departure but i also would keep Viera over him at this stage
EST case might be like that of Tierney at Real
Sociedad…He’s injury prone and a team competiting for title has to be ruthless and set emotion aside.If Arteta faulters again with the likes of injured ESR stil in the team,you won’t blame ESR for not been match fit when needed but you will rather blame Arteta…Likes of Real Madrid,Man city hardly have injury players in there squad and that makes them always 95% fully fledge all seasons…A fitter player and technically sound player like Merino will be better all day.
I wish him well as we all do of course, but the bottom line (in every sense) is that Arsenal must sell players – and preferably players who will raise a reasonable transfer fee.
The current squad (largely because of failure to offload players in the last few seasons, whilst still bringing in more) is too large – and the corresponding wage bill is creeping up as well from 50% to nearer 60% of turnover.
Arsenal has added Calafiori to already and is likely to bring in Merino and probably a striker according to reports. Apart from ESR, the likes of Eddie, Ramsdale, Nelson, Kiwior and a few others will almost certainly have to be sold (or try to be sold) to bring in some money from transfers – an Arsenal failing for several seasons – and re-balance the wage bill.
Really really not happy about the ESR sale. But it is what it is. The Manager’s decisions are what will determine their success or failure.