Champions League side ready to swoop for Arsenal outcast
Tom Weber
- 16 Oct 2023 11:33 BST
- 4 min read
Newcastle United are ready to swoop for Arsenal outcast Emile Smith Rowe, according to reports.
The 23-year-old has seen it tough going at the Emirates ever since an injury kept him on the sidelines for a lengthy period of time. Having impressed with 10 goals and two assists in 2021/22, many expected the Hale End graduate to kick on even more and become a regular starter under Mikel Arteta.
Things would, however, go south following his groin surgery. Smith Rowe barely featured last term despite being back to full fitness for large parts of the second half of the season. After somewhat surprisingly looking back to his best at the U21 Euros in the summer, there was again hope that now would be the time for him to establish himself.
READ: Victor Osimhen is Arsenal's answer to Erling Haaland
Yet again, however, it hasn't transpired that way. To date, Smith Rowe has only started one game this campaign - in the Carabao Cup - while playing a grand total of 50 minutes in the Premier League and Champions League. It is becoming clear that it is time to move on.
Are Arsenal making a mistake?
In light of Smith Rowe's performances in the summer, there were suggestions that Arsenal had made a mistake by spending €75 million on Kai Havertz when his English counterpart could have done a similar job. Given the German's struggles so far, those claims weren't far-fetched it seems.
Moreover, data experts SciSports give Smith Rowe a potential of 105.3, which, if realised, could see him become a better player than the likes of Eddie Nketiah, Leandro Trossard and Fabio Vieira. Mikel Arteta has previously admitted that his rotation is leaving a lot to be desired and this could prove costly regarding Smith Rowe.
READ: Arsenal 'still monitoring' Premier League star after failed transfer pursuit - Romano
According to The Mirror, Newcastle are once again interested in the 23-year-old with a view to potentially making a January move. It will be a tough deal to strike, however. Recent reports claimed that the Gunners value the attacking midfielder at a whopping €70m, despite him being worth less than €15m according to FootballTransfers' Estimated Transfer Value algorithm.
The report linking ESR to Newcastle also mentions that Arsenal are not keen on a loan, meaning that unless the Magpies are willing to part with the aforementioned massive sum, the promising talent's career will continue to stagnate at the Emirates.
