Emile Smith Rowe may well be drawing admiration from Newcastle United, but David Ornstein has played down talk of any contact at this stage.

Following reports linking Emile Smith Rowe with Newcastle United in the last day or two, David Ornstein reports for The Athletic that he isn’t aware of Newcastle pursuing the Arsenal man.

As it stands, Ornstein claims he doesn’t know of any contact between the parties involved, and adds that it’s not clear where the player would fit in the Newcastle team unless someone leaves.

The journalist concludes that Smith Rowe’s situation is still definitely one to watch, in light of his reduced minutes for Arsenal and the fact he’s a valuable asset.

Scott Wilson of The Northern Echo had reported that Newcastle United’s ownership group were set to meet imminently to sort out their January transfer plans, and Smith Rowe had emerged as an early potential target.

The Newcastle owners reportedly plan to meet before the end of the international break, with club manager Eddie Howe also involved in the discussions.

It’s not expected that Newcastle will have scope for major incomings in January, having already committed to around £150m of signings in the summer window.

But Wilson claimed Smith Rowe had already been discussed internally as a potential target.

Smith Rowe has also been linked with West Ham United, and a recent report from Graeme Bailey suggested that both Aston Villa and Newcastle were in the race for the player.

But for now, the reliable Arsenal journalists don’t seem to believe there’s any significant activity on a move for Smith Rowe.