Ruthless Arteta sells star who saved him his job

Jacque Talbot

• Updated: 4 Jun 2024 15:38 BST
• 3 min read

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has been accused of moving on Emile Smith Rowe even though the attacker had ‘saved his job’ at one point.

As part of an overhaul, the Gunners will look to offload a number of their players in the summer window, in a bid to free up some funds.

One man set to leave is 23-year-old Smith Rowe, who has been with the club since he was a child, as a Hale End graduate.

READ MORE: Osimhen ‘waits’ on Arsenal transfer in ‘monstrous’ deal that Chelsea will love

But Arteta has faced backlash for the move, with former Sunderland and Aston Villa striker Darren Bent calling the move into question.

“It might be also, not balancing the books, but also about profit and Arsenal selling him,” said Bent on TalkSport.

“You are right, he had that season when he and Saka almost saved Arteta’s job. Arteta was struggling and them two were brilliant. But you get 100% profit from Emile Smith Rowe.

“It would be sad to see him leave. As a young kid coming through, I loved watching him play for Arsenal, but again, if he is not going to get many opportunities, then he needs to play.”

Fulham target Emile Smith Rowe

It comes after the news that Fulham have made Smith Rowe one of their summer transfer priorities.

The Telegraph reports that Cottagers boss Marco Silva will look to bolster his attacking options with winger Willian, who is set to leave as a free agent, looking at offers from Saudi Arabia.

Fulham hope to build on their mid-table finishes since promotion back to the top flight. Last season, Smith Rowe missed most of Arsenal’s Premier League title challenge, making 10 appearances off the bench.

He also suffered injuries during the campaign, which he did not help his chances.