Former PL boss expects Arsenal to sell one ‘phenomenal’ player in January window

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Former Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew believes that Emile Smith Rowe may be set to move on from Arsenal.

Emile Smith Rowe has lacked opportunities at Arsenal this season. 

Over the course of the campaign so far, the Hale End academy graduate has been afforded just six Premier League appearances, amounting to less than two hours’ worth of total game time, as he has generally been deployed as a late substitute.

At this stage in his career, with the injury issues he has had in the past, the 23-year-old needs to be playing regular football in order to make up for lost time. 

However, Mikel Arteta is clearly reluctant to put too much faith in the midfielder, despite being abundantly aware of his quality. In the 2021/22 campaign, the last time Smith Rowe was fully fit and playing regularly, he was a key part of the team and netted 10 top flight goals over the course of that season.

He now finds himself behind the likes of Kai Havertz and Leandro Trossard in the pecking order, though, and the three-cap England international may have to seek pastures new in order to get his career back on track.

If a manager were willing to give Smith Rowe the game time he needs, and if the player is able to stay fit, then he certainly has the capacity to shine at the highest level.

What next for Arsenal ace Emile Smith Rowe?

Alan Pardew certainly expects Arsenal to cash in on Smith Rowe and for the player to make his mark elsewhere. Speaking on talkSPORT (7/1/2024, 19:55), he said, “Emile Smith Rowe is a strange one. You have to suspect that he is going to go in this window.”

“He will be a fantastic signing for anybody who is not in the top six. I think he will get in any team in the bottom half of the Premier League and take you up a level because he has got a technical level that is phenomenal.”

For Arsenal fans, it would be sad to see Smith Rowe leave the club with so much potential unfulfilled in red and white. As a homegrown talent, who has been on the books with the north London outfit since the age of ten, who can be so thrilling to watch when fit and firing on all cylinders, it stands to reason that the supporters are all rooting for him to succeed. 

Arteta has previously provided assurances that Smith Rowe remains in his plans, has a future at the club, and is in line for more game time in the future. However, there is little tangible evidence to suggest that this is the case. Equally, it works to the Gunners’ advantage in the market to put forward such statements as they will have a harder time attracting a decent fee for Smith Rowe if they publicly admit that he is unwanted at the Emirates Stadium.

In any case, Smith Rowe’s future is far from certain.