Why now is the right time for Arsenal to sell Emile Smith Rowe

As reported by David Ornstein of the Athletic, Emile Smith Rowe is close to joining Fulham from Arsenal for a fee "worth up to £35million". This would make him the Cottagers' record-signing, smashing the current record of £25 million paid for Jean Michaël Seri in 2018, while it would equal Arsenal's biggest-ever sale, receiving £35 million for both Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain from Liverpool in 2017 and from Monaco for Folarin Balogun's services 12 months ago.

As noted by Ed Aarons in the Guardian, Crystal Palace have also attempted to sign Smith Rowe this summer, but Fulham are now firmly leading the chase for his services. Ornstein broke this news late on Wednesday night, mere hours before Arsenal's first friendly of their US tour; a youthful Gunners side drawing 1-1 with Bournemouth at Dignity Health Sports Park, before prevailing in the subsequent penalty shootout in LA. When asked about Smith Rowe, who is with the squad in California, at full time, Mikel Arteta said "there are things happening in the background at the moment and we decided the best thing to do was to keep him away from the game today", effectively confirming his imminent departure.

Why are Arsenal supporters so devastated by Smith Rowe's sale?

Across the last two seasons, Arsenal have collected 173 points, that's 75.77% of all points available, missing out on the title by five and two points respectively, ending up as runners-up to the Manchester City juggernaut both times. Given this, Gooners everywhere are believing that this season is finally going to be their year, but it wasn't always like this.

As recently as three years ago, Arteta was overseeing a side who'd just endured a second successive eighth placed finished, failing to qualify for any European competition for the first time since 1995. Lockdown was a miserable time for everyone worldwide, with that zeitgeist translating for Arsenal supporters onto the field too, with defeats no longer causing pain, and a sense of misdirection and overall nothingness prevailing above all else. Supporters needed something to cling onto, something to believe in, and Emile Smith Rowe would symbolise the start of Arteta's revolution.

On Boxing Day 2020, having yielded a miserly two points from their last seven fixtures, winning only one of their last ten, Arsenal sat 15th in the table, so a visit from fierce London rivals Chelsea was not welcomed with much festive cheer. However, this would become a career-defining night for Mikel Arteta who, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang sidelined due to a calf issue, shuffled his pack, starting Gabriel Martinelli for the first time all season, while Smith Rowe was also thrown into the XI, his first Premier League appearance for over a year, 371 days to be exact.

Well, alongside Bukayo Saka, who scored that evening, Martinelli and Smith Rowe stared as Arsenal beat the Blues 3-1, signalling the start of a three-match winning streak and a seven game unbeaten run. Prior to this game, Arteta's job was very much on the line, but hasn't been subsequently, as the Gunners have essentially been on an upward trajectory ever since, and Smith Rowe was amongst the most prominent catalysts that were able to signal this change.

Given that Smith Rowe joined Arsenal as a ten year old, spending the last decade and a half at the club, bar a couple of brief loan spells at RB Leipzig an Huddersfield, he's always going to be beloved by the fanbase, but, even still, he connected with supporters like few others. His languid style and trademark socks rolled down made him an exhilarating player to watch, with this goal against Brentford in March 2021 the perfect encapsulation of Smith Rowe at his best.

The 'Saka and Emile Smith Rowe' song to the tune of Status Quo's Rockin’ All Over the World became the soundtrack for Arsenal's top four push in 2021/22, with these two academy stars spearheading the Gunners' revival, with Smith Rowe scoring 11 goals that season, on target as a substitute in three successive Premier League matches, which remains a competition record.

Why now is the right time for Arsenal to sell Smith Rowe

All of the fond memories Arsenal fans of Emile Smith Rowe are from over two years ago now; his last goal for the club came at Stamford Bridge on 20 April 2022, 828 days ago, and a lot has happened at both London giants during this time frame. In the last two seasons, Smith Rowe has made only 33 appearances, totalling 671 minutes, starting just three Premier League appearances in this period. However, this is exactly why fans are so upset, because we all got a glimpse of his potential, something we believe we could see again, but due to injuries and lack of opportunities, that possibility has been snatched away from us.

For Smith Rowe meanwhile, now 23 years old, this is the right time to move, he needs regular football. Last summer, he was a key figure as England won the U21 Euros, but he hasn't been capped at senior level since a friendly win over Côte d'Ivoire in March 2022, documenting his decline. Fulham under Marco Silva appears to be a good stylistic fit while, considering the huge fee they'll be paying for him, he'll certainly be made to feel like a valued squad member, something Arteta has been criticised for not doing in recent times.

Arsenal receive £35 million of 'pure profit' to help balance their PSR books, Fulham acquire an exceptionally talented young player and Smith Rowe gets the chance to play regular Premier League football. This appears to be one of those rare transfers where everyone wins, it just may not feel quite like that for Arsenal fans right away. Make no mistake about it, when the Cottagers visited North London on April Fool's Day, Smith Rowe will get a hero's welcome.

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