Two Premier League clubs, Aston Villa and Newcastle United, reportedly show keen interest in signing Arsenal’s Emile Smith Rowe.
The 23-year-old midfielder, who has been a part of the Gunners’ setup since his youth days, is apparently contemplating a move due to limited game time at the Emirates.
According to a report, two Premier League clubs, Aston Villa and Newcastle United, are in a race to acquire the services of Emile Smith Rowe.
The ‘news’, reported by Graeme Bailey on the Talking Transfers Podcast, reveals that Smith Rowe, who has been at Arsenal since childhood and has gradually risen through the club, could be considering a change of scenery to get more playing time in the first team.
That word ‘could’ is doing a lot of heavy lifting in this rumour.
Despite his age, Smith Rowe has amassed over 100 appearances for Arsenal’s first team and has contributed 29 goals in his career.
However, in recent seasons he has fallen down the team’s hierarchy and has had difficulty staying in the starting lineup, mostly because he’s been recovering from a serious injury.
Last season, Smith Rowe was only able to play in 14 games and spent less than 200 minutes on the field due to injuries. This, of course, is being spun as something else.
This lack of playing time has led some reporters to smell an easy story and claim that Smith Rowe is seriously considering leaving Arsenal in search of opportunities elsewhere.
Both Aston Villa and Newcastle United have shown interest in the young midfielder that Arsenal have no intention of selling.
Aston Villa, in particular, have been keeping a close eye on Smith Rowe and came close to signing him in the past, so the claims go. In reality, they tried to sign him, offered an insulting amount of money, and Smith Rowe wanted to stay, anyway.
On the other hand, Newcastle United, which has been strengthening its squad with their Saudi money see Smith Rowe as a potential key player for its ‘project’.
The final decision will, of course, lie with Smith Rowe, who has shown no desire to leave the club, despite what some would like to claim.