HERE WE GO: Arsenal confirmed £40m signing, medical tonight as announcement will be done tomorrow morning – Welcome to Emirate
Arsenal are close to selling one of their top homegrown talents with an agreement in principle apparently now sorted.
The Gunners have spent the last few windows spending big money and there has been an acceptance this summer that sales were needed.
A number of homegrown talents like Eddie Nketiah and Reiss Nelson are believed to be up for grabs, with Arsenal conscious of bringing in complete profit to balance the books.
As well as Nketiah and Nelson, Emile Smith Rowe has also been the subject of heavy interest.
And now, it looks like a deal with Fulham has been reached to take Smith Rowe to Craven Cottage.
Arsenal agree deal in principle to sell Emile Smith Rowe
Updating the Sky Sports live blog on transfers today, reporters Lyall Thomas and Dharmesh Sheth have said a deal to take Smith Rowe to Fulham is now all but done.
“Fulham have an agreement in principle with Arsenal for the signing of Emile Smith Rowe,” it says.
“The deal – a club-record for Fulham – will see them pay an initial £27m, plus add-ons that could take the total to £34m.
“Final details are being sorted between the clubs, but personal terms have also been agreed in principle. Smith Rowe is expected to have a medical this week.
“The Fulham squad fly to Portugal for a pre-season training camp tomorrow. It is hoped Smith Rowe will join up with them at some point during the camp.”
Adding credence to the report from Sheth, Fabrizio Romano has now also given the deal his famous ‘here we go’ treatment.
Smith Rowe has fallen down the pecking order at The Emirates and is not really part of Mikel Arteta’s plans.
The England international is thought to be keen on making the move away from Arsenal to play regular football and a move to Fulham keeps him in London as well.
Lauded by Mikel Arteta as an ‘extraordinary‘ talent, Smith Rowe will be hoping to get minutes and eventually play himself back into the thinking of the England coaches.
