Emile Smith Rowe is due to hold talks with Arsenal over his future at the end of the season, according to a report.

The Evening Standard report that Arsenal are set to hold talks with Emile Smith Rowe about his future at the end of the current campaign.

Smith Rowe has increasingly been touted as one of the players Arsenal might consider offloading this summer, as the Gunners reportedly look to raise major funds for their incoming business.

The 22-year-old has hardly featured for Mikel Arteta’s side this season, playing just 180 minutes in all competitions at senior level.

A large part of that was due to his surgery on a damaged tendon in September, ruling him out until the turn of the year.

Yet even since returning to fitness, Smith Rowe has struggled to play. He came on for 47 minutes against Bournemouth, replacing the injured Leandro Trossard and providing an assist, but he himself was substituted later in the game.

Since then, his only cameos have been as a substitute in the final 20 minutes of matches, if he comes on at all.

The key question is why this is happening. Smith Rowe’s absences from the pitch don’t necessarily mean Arteta has given up on him, as perhaps the manager just feels that the midfielder wasn’t sharp enough to be thrown into the latter stages of a title race.

But it’s hard to say what the exact explanation is from an outside perspective.

Maybe even Smith Rowe himself doesn’t know, and that’s the kind of thing the end-of-season talks can clear up.

Still so young and talented, under contract at Arsenal for at least another few years, it would be a shame if this were the end for Smith Rowe’s career in north London.

It’s easy to forget he was one of Arsenal’s top scorers last season, netting 11 times in 37 games. If he can rediscover that form, he’ll be a major addition back into the team next season.

But it’s up to the player and Arsenal to decide what’s next for him now.