“After winning against Arsenal back-to-back this season, Unai Emery is set to bring a player he nurtured at Arsenal to Aston Villa this summer, as Emery wants him for his long-term project.”
It looks like Emile Smith-Rowe might be saying goodbye to his beloved Arsenal this summer. Some Gooners would prefer him to stay, or if he does leave, they hope it’s on a loan deal. But I reckon it’s high time the Hale End graduate got a fresh start, which could kickstart his career.
In fact, a Worrying statistic about Emile suggests he can’t afford to stay. It’s quite surprising to learn that the 23-year-old has only been able to start three Premier League games in the last two seasons. One could say injuries played a huge role in that, but for the majority of last season, he was fit. His lack of game time is quite disappointing for someone who has been hailed as the next great English playmaker. There’s no telling if his playing time will get any better next season.
It is exciting that Unai Emery is interested in bringing Emile Smith Rowe to Villa Park this summer. The ex-Arsenal boss wants to strengthen the squad for the upcoming Champions League campaign. Aside from the Villa links, the Telegraph says Fulham is prioritising his signing this summer transfer window.
Emery told the Mirror in 2018 after Smith-Rowe was promoted to the Arsenal first team at 18 years of age: “The quality he has physically and mentally. He also has quality in his right foot, with working in attacking moments with any player.
“If I say one condition [which has impressed me most], I say his mentality. He is humble, he listens every day in training, in video analysis and before every match.”
It’s a real shame that Smith Rowe didn’t quite make it with Arsenal, despite his awesome breakout season in 2020/21. That season, he stepped up and made a big impact on Arsenal’s attack, scoring 10 goals and providing two assists in 33 games.
That said, it would be great if he went to Aston Villa and did really well. I would only add that I’d rather he went on loan rather than being sold outright….
