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At the start of the summer window, Emile Smith Rowe completing a move from Arsenal to Chelsea was seen as unthinkable but it could now be on the cards. With the Blues looking to welcome a versatile attacker before deadline day, Smith Rowe perfectly fits what Mauricio Pochettino is looking for.
Currently it is just links to Chelsea, however that could become formal once a key decision is made. According to the Mail, Chelsea are weighing up a move for the 23-year-old, although Raphinha and Ferran Torres of Barcelona are also options they could choose to try and sign.
The two London rivals have already done business this summer with the £65million transfer of Kai Havertz going through rather seamlessly. Therefore, negotiations could be relatively straightforward if the Blues act on their interest and Mikel Arteta decides there is no clear spot in his squad for Smith Rowe, however a source has told football.london it is unlikely he leaves but nothing is off the table.
Back in March, the Spaniard insisted Smith Rowe was part of his plans with his verdict throwing the gauntlet down to Smith Rowe to prove his worth. “He knows how much we love him, and we know how much we missed him and how much we need his qualities,” the Arsenal boss said back in March.
“And now he needs to prove it, he needs to prove how much he wants to win, and how much he’s going to contribute to this team to be better and win. And he’s going to have to show that to get in the team.
“I think we have to manage his load, but for sure he’s in a position where we can throw him in the team at any moment. And then it’s about how he’s coping with the team in general and whether we have to take him off or to use him in the last few minutes of the game.”
In an attempt to impress, Smith Rowe returned early from England’s Under-21 European championships triumph, but he is yet to play a Premier League minute this season. A transfer to Chelsea under Pochettino could be exactly what he needs and the interest from west London in Smith Rowe may not actually be as shocking as it seems.
According to Spurs’ former head of elite potential identification David Webb, Smith Rowe was admired by Tottenham when managed by Pochettino in his early days at Arsenal.
Speaking to The Telegraph in 2021, he said: “He (Smith Rowe) played against Tottenham for the Under-18s and he really stood out in the No10 role. It was his movement off the ball that was so eye-catching, and his work-rate as well. For a young player, that sometimes does not come in until later in their development.”
“We tried to sign him before he signed his scholarship at Arsenal. He was a player that fitted the way Mauricio Pochettino played and even at 16 we were looking at him as a potential young player who could progress into the first team.”
