Despite interest from Premier League rivals West Ham, Aston Villa and Brighton, Arsenal have no intention of selling Emile Smith Rowe and he is part of the club’s plans for the 2023-24 season. Smith Rowe featured just 14 times across all competitions in the 2022-23 campaign due to injury, while for much of the second half of the season he was an unused substitute on the bench. The 22-year-old, who can operate as a central midfielder, attacking midfielder or a winger, came through the Arsenal academy and has made a total of 96 first-team appearances, registering 18 goals and 11 assists.
There were rumours that Smith Rowe could depart the Emirates this summer with the Gunners looking to bring in James Maddison as his replacement. However, Arsenal are not looking to sell Smith Rowe and he is very much a part of their plans for the upcoming season. This news is a blow to West Ham, who were reportedly looking to use Arsenal’s strong interest in Declan Rice to convince them to sell Smith Rowe. Aston Villa are also looking to strengthen after qualifying for the Europa Conference League, while Brighton are preparing for the Europa League.
Former Arsenal player Tony Adams believes Smith Rowe should have been handed more game time last season as Arsenal missed out on the Premier League title to Manchester City. ‘We’ve depended on Martinelli and Saka for most of the season,’ Adams told Sky Sports. ‘To give them a rest now and again… They could have given Emile a bit more air time for me. He could have subbed Martinelli and let him play off the left-hand side.’