Fulham and Crystal Palace fight for Arsenal's Smith Rowe

Emile Smith Rowe has been the subject of a bidding war between London clubs Fulham and Crystal Palace. The Evening Standard reported that Fulham's bid was rejected by Arsenal, while Crystal Palace has also been linked with the English forward. The Mail Online puported that Fulham's bid was in the £30 million range, which means both London clubs would have to pony up more cash if they want to get their man. Talksport had reported that Arsenal were keen to accepts bids in the region of £25 million however this has proven to be inaccurate in accordance with the latest news.

Mikel Arteta has been one of Smith Rowe's biggest supporters; he gave him glowing praise after his performance against Luton. It was thought that Smith Rowe would push on and become a regular starter for Arsenal again. However, he has struggled to fit in at left wing, with Trossard and Martinelli in the pecking order ahead of him.

There is still hope that Smith Rowe could reach the heights of his 21-22 campaign, where he netted 11 goals and became one of Arteta's most important players. Since then, he has struggled with injury, missing most of the 22-23 season on the sidelines. Now that he's out of favour in the Arsenal squad, maybe a move away from the Emirates would be best for him.

Crystal Palace need a new winger after selling Michael Olise to Bayern Munich. With Eberechi Eze reportedly linked with a move away (some rumours say he's bound for Arsenal), that need just got a bit more urgent. Fulham does have a left-winger in Willian, but he is 35 years old, and they may need a younger replacement.

Whatever happens, it's sure to be an exciting week as the story progresses and the saga becomes more intense for both clubs. Let's see what happens. If you want to know more about the Smith Rowe transfer saga, let us know at @topflight on X!

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