Smith Rowe’s transfer to another team, such as West Ham, may now be possible after a deal to acquire him fell through for Smith Rowe. Smith Rowe will stay an Arsenal player until January.
Football Insider has reported that Smith Rowe is considering his future at Arsenal amid a lack of game time.
According to sources, both the club and the player could agree that it’s time to move on if there are more signings in the coming window.
In the summer window, Arsenal were said to be willing to pay £35-40m for the England international, who has three years remaining on his deal.
The midfielder has featured in just five games in 2023-24, totalling 115 minutes, and Arsenal are looking to make further signings in January.
If Smith Rowe becomes available in 2024, it is understood that a number of Premier League clubs will be interested in signing him.
Smith Rowe did not begin a single senior game for Arsenal during the injury-plagued 2022–23 season, but he scored 10 goals in the top flight the season before to establish his credentials at the highest level.
He has four senior caps for the Three Lions and has scored once. Earlier this year, he assisted England’s Under-21 team in winning the European Championships.
In a related development:
Declan Rice makes ‘strange’ West Ham United admission after securing big-money exit
Declan Rice said it will be “strange” to play for Arsenal this season against West Ham after completing his £105 million transfer over the summer.
The 24-year-old midfielder stated he still gets along with many of the Hammers players and anticipates them joking around with him on the field when they play the Gunners on Boxing Day at the Emirates in an interview with FourFourTwo on Monday (2 October).
When the two teams play off at the London Stadium later this season, the England international said it will be “brilliant” to return and see old friends.
“It’ll be pretty strange when I play against West Ham this season, because there are so many lads I know and get on with – they’ll be saying stuff on the pitch, I’m sure,” said Rice.
“We’ve got them at the Emirates Stadium first, then at the London Stadium later in the season. It’ll be brilliant to go back there and see everyone.”
Emotional
After spending so many years with the club before taking over the captaincy from Mark Noble, Rice will have emotion when he does play against West Ham.
During his time at the London Stadium, he developed both as a player and a person, and he is obviously appreciative of everything the Hammers have done for him.
As with many past players, there might be the occasional sigh from some supporters when he returns to East London with Arsenal, but overall, the reaction ought to be favorable.
The midfielder did, after all, have the option to leave the team before he ultimately did, but he stayed faithful and helped us win the wonderful Europa Conference League last season.
The Irons players will undoubtedly want to humiliate their former captain, so we can only hope that it won’t be a reunion he will cherish on the field.
