Of all of their business in the summer, Arsenal’s decision to sell Emile Smith Rowe to Fulham was by far the most controversial, at least in terms of those who left.
Arsenal sold Smith Rowe for £34m, an academy player who Mikel Arteta promoted into the first team early on in his tenure.
Smith Rowe was loved by Arsenal fans, but as Arteta’s side became more defensively responsible it almost felt as if the maverick-type attacking midfielder had no place.
Of course, his position eventually became one on the bench, something that didn’t work for any party.
That being said, Arsenal and Smith Rowe decided it was best to start a new chapter, and Marco Silva was over the moon to take the England international to Fulham.
How Emile Smith Rowe is performing at Fulham since leaving Arsenal
Silva has already explained why Arsenal will regret selling Smith Rowe, and Arsenal Insider have now spoken to Fulham expert Ben Evans, who’s only added to that misery.
Evans, a season ticket holder at Craven Cottage for 15 years, was asked to provide a Fulham perspective on Arsenal’s decision to sell Smith Rowe.
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And his words may only add to the pain of some Arsenal fans who wish the ‘Croydon De Bruyne’ was still wearing red.
Evans said: “From a Fulham perspective, I could completely understand why Arsenal would want to cash in on Smith Rowe given his limited playing time during the 2023/24 season.
“However, after two seasons in the Premier League, a player of calibre with plenty of time to continue improving was the perfect marquee signing for us, even if it wasn’t necessarily in a position where at first glance the squad needed strengthening.
“Fulham fans haven’t trusted a manager as much as Marco Silva since the days of Roy Hodgson, so when it became clear Smith Rowe was his top target, excitement immediately built within the fanbase.
“On his debut against Manchester United, even though the team lost, it was clear whenever he was on the ball that his technique, dribbling and ball-playing ability was on a different level to anything we had seen at Craven Cottage for some time.
“The way he picks up the ball on the half-turn and glides past players (as he did in the build-up to our goal against Everton) is a joy to watch.”
Emile Smith Rowe already combining with Alex Iwobi and Reiss Nelson at Fulham
Evans then spoke about how Smith Rowe had already begun combining well with Reiss Nelson and Alex Iwobi in west London.
He continued: “Playing alongside Alex Iwobi and deadline day signing Reiss Nelson have helped him settle in quicker than many would have expected, while he’s already struck up a strong relationship with Calvin Bassey.
“His partnership with Nelson and in particular left-back Antonee Robinson has been game-changing, and he’s an important reason why we’ve had our best-ever start to a Premier League season.
“Silva has given him confidence and most importantly time to get up to full fitness, his minutes gradually increased across the first six league games when it would have been tempting to hand him 90 minutes straight away.
READ MORE: Ian Wright makes interesting point about Emile Smith Rowe after watching Arsenal struggle recently
“Whenever a player drops down from a top side to play for a mid-table team, there’s always a worry that their heart might not be in it, however, the atmosphere within the squad appears to suit him perfectly and if he continues on this trajectory, his time at Fulham may not last as long as many people would like, as other clubs will quickly realise what a talent he is.”
A damning verdict from an Arsenal perspective, particularly given that the club have lacked creativity of late.
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