SPORTS
Emile Smith Rowe’s 14-year association with Arsenal is over after he completed a move to Fulham worth up to £34 million. There are also suggestions the Gunners have negotiated a 10% sell-on clause.
The England international, 24, vacates the number 10 shirt three years after signing a long-term contract that positioned him as one of Mikel Arteta’s most important players.
An operation on a long-standing groin injury in September 2022 hasn’t helped the midfielder’s cause in the last couple of years. His recovery took longer than expected and when he did return, he struggled to compete with captain Martin Odegaard for a starting berth.
Smith Rowe made his debut during Unai Emery’s tenure before embarking on loan spells with RB Leipzig and Huddersfield. While the former was wrecked by injury, the latter proved to be a turning point for the player as he featured week in, week out.
After recovering from an untimely shoulder injury, sustained on the eve of the 2020/21 campaign, Smith Rowe finally got his chance to shine under Arteta. He was thrust into the starting lineup against Chelsea on Boxing Day 2020, played brilliantly in a 3-1 win and pretty much kept his place in the starting lineup for the rest of the season.
At his best, he was a bold carrier of the ball, timed his runs into the box brilliantly and was an efficient finisher.
The following season he scored 10 goals in 33 appearances in the Premier League – form which earned him selection by England – although by the end of the campaign, he was increasingly used off the bench. As it turned out, he was already being treated with kid gloves due to the groin issue that would later require surgery.
In the last two seasons, Smith Rowe played 716 minutes – the equivalent of eight full matches – and during that time Arsenal evolved at pace. Arteta leaned heavily on an inverted left-back, Odegaard led the high press and the likes of Martinelli and Trossard locked down the left flank. The arrivals of Declan Rice and Kai Havertz raised the level even further.
When Smith Rowe did play, he appeared so eager to make an impact that he couldn’t hide his frustration when things didn’t come off. His body language increasingly reflected a battle with self-doubt even though he worked so hard to leave such issues behind.
The decision to leave Arsenal will not have been taken lightly but it feels right for all involved. It represents one of the most expensive departures in Gunners’ history and Fulham’s biggest-ever transfer.
