Emile Smith Rowe Arsenal ‘dream’ now shattered as £35m transfer nears completion

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Emile Smith Rowe is set to depart Arsenal soon, as a deal with Fulham is close to being agreed, in what will be an uncomfortable sale for the club.

Smith Rowe is a highly talented player, and a popular figure as a Hale End Academy graduate, but he has hardly featured in the last two seasons after losing his place following a big injury.

Fulham are now closing in on a £35m deal to sign him, which would match Arsenal’s record sale, and this appears to be a good move for all parties. Smith Rowe will gain a fresh start at a club where he will be a key player, and Arsenal will receive a substantial fee in pure profit for a fringe player.

Smith Rowe provided many moments of joy in a dismal period for Arsenal between 2020 and 2022, and arguably helped save Mikel Arteta’s job when he was brought into the side to beat Chelsea in December 2020.

His time at Arsenal is coming to an end, and as a homegrown player and boyhood fan, this one is going to hurt both the player and the fans.

Emile Smith Rowe previously revealed dream of becoming Arsenal legend

Smith Rowe came through the Arsenal academy, and is a boyhood fan of the club. In October 2020, shortly before his stunning breakthrough into the team, he revealed his desire to spend the rest of his career in North London.

“As an Arsenal fan, it would be a dream to become an Arsenal legend. I want to win trophies with the team. I could see myself being a one-club man if everything works out,” Smith Rowe revealed.

With his exit now close, this dream of one day joining fellow Arsenal number 10 Dennis Bergkamp in having a statue outside the Emirates Stadium is now over.

Emile Smith Rowe was on right path to becoming Arsenal legend

When Smith Rowe was thriving in 2021-22, he was the face of Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal project alongside Bukayo Saka.

Smith Rowe drew comparisons with Bergkamp, having already inherited his shirt, and was thriving as one of the best young attacking midfielders in the Premier League, and even became an England International.

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Without his injury problems, he may have continued to develop like Saka has done. Saka is now a key player for club and country, and well on his way to becoming a club legend. Smith Rowe could have been alongside him in this regard, but he will hope that a fresh start at Fulham helps him revive his career.