Emile Smith Rowe tempted by promise of playing time at West Ham United, Arsenal will sell him in the event of a good offer
West Ham United are interested in signing Arsenal attacking midfielder Emile Smith Rowe in the summer, and he is tempted to join them because of the promise of playing time, according to Seb Ecrivain Foot – the editor of French outlet Les Bons Conceil Du Sports.
The 23-year-old is out of the first-team picture at the North London club, and the Gunners are willing to sell him once a suitable offer is brought to the table.
Smith Rowe is a long-term target of West Ham, and the Hammers wanted him included in the deal that took Declan Rice to the Emirates Stadium club last summer during talks.
However, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta did not want to sell the England youth international as he insisted he would feature in his plans this term.
Smith Rowe has started just two Premier League games so far in 2023-24, coming off the bench eight times.
He has made six appearances across other competitions, starting just once, which would have left him very frustrated.
As The Athletic journalist David Ornstein recently noted, the Hale End academy graduate is one of the players that could be sold this summer, and West Ham could be finally getting their man.
He is out of contract in 2026 and should fetch Arsenal a decent fee, and selling him represents pure profit in terms of Financial Fair Play and Premier League’s profit and sustainability given that he is an academy graduate.
Smith Rowe made all his 14 appearances across all competitions last term off the bench, weighing in with two assists, and he has not managed to recover his form from 2021-22 when he bagged ten goals in 32 league games.
Injuries have seen him drop further down the pecking order, and it is best for both parties to part ways this summer.
