Arsenal reject last-gasp Galatasaray bid for Emile Smith Rowe

Robin Bairner

6 Mar 2023 04:11 CST
3 min read

Mikel Arteta, Arsenal, 2022/23 — © ProShots

Arsenal rejected a transfer bid for attacking midfielder Emile Smith Rowe from Galatasaray, according to reports from Turkey.

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The Turkish transfer window only shut over the weekend, and Fotomac states that the Istanbul club made a cheeky late bid to take Smith Rowe from Arsenal before the deadline.

It was an offer that was knocked back by Mikel Arteta and Edu, with the Gunners believing that the 22-year-old will still have a role to play before the climax of the season, which will see the London side seek to hold onto first place in the Premier League as well as chase glory in the UEFA Europa League.

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Smith Rowe has been a victim of Arsenal’s excellent form this season, with his game time severely reduced by the form of those around him. Indeed, he has not started a single Premier League match this term.

Injuries have had their part to play in Smith Rowe’s difficult campaign. He sat out October and November after groin surgery and has struggled to regain fitness since. During Saturday’s match against Bournemouth, he was thrown in early after an injury to Leandro Trossard but was taken off midway through the second half.

“I felt we needed something else on the left because we were lacking threat and we were attracting more players in to that side,” Arteta said, explaining why Smith Rowe was replaced by Reiss Nelson, who ultimately bagged the winning goal.

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Smith Rowe's uncertain future

Although academy product Smith Rowe will remain at Arsenal for the remainder of the season, there will be further questions over his long-term stability at the club. He has previously been linked with a move to Aston Villa.

Over the course of the last season, Smith Rowe’s Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) has dropped from a high of €39.8 million in the summer to €20.9m presently. This is a result of his lack of match action.