Arsenal are prepared to consider letting Emile Smith Rowe leave the club in the final days of the window after Chelsea registered their interest, according to reports.
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The 23-year-old has emerged as a shock late target for the west Londoners as Mauricio Pochettino looks to add another versatile attacker to his ranks following a rash of injuries.
Christopher Nkunku is out of action until the end of the year and Armando Broja is still recovering while Carney Chukwuemeka picked up an injury against West Ham last week and Mykhailo Mudryk is also sidelined.
‘We were talking about one offensive player with the right profile to help,’ said Pochettino last week. ‘If you said to me we can add the right profile? Yes [we would sign someone].’
Chelsea have been linked with a host of potential new additions, with Barcelona duo Raphinha and Ferran Torres the latest to be linked with moves, while the Blues also explored deals for Brennan Johnson and Bradley Barcola before ending their interest.
Now Arsenal academy graduate Smith Rowe is emerging as a genuine target before Friday’s transfer deadline, though talks are not thought to be at an advanced stage just yet.
The England international is a firm fans’ favourite at the Emirates and supporters would be loathe to lose him to a London rival, but The Times are reporting that Arsenal could let him leave.
The Gunners need to raise funds to comply with Financial Fair Play and would be willing to cash in on Smith Rowe – who would likely command a fee in excess of £40million.
Surprisingly, the report actually claims that Arsenal are actively looking to offload the attacking midfielder and have offered him to several unnamed Premier League clubs.
The player himself is open to leaving having become frustrated with a lack of opportunities under Mikel Arteta, and he is yet to feature in the Premier League this season.
He was handed just three minutes of action against Manchester City in the Community Shield and has fallen dramatically down the pecking order at Arsenal in the last 12 months.
Injuries and a lack of match sharpness when he returned – when the Gunners were locked in a title battle – restricted Smith Rowe to just 12 Premier League appearances last season, all of which were off the bench.
He now appears to be behind both Leandro Trossard and Fabio Vieira in Arteta’s thinking and could provide a huge windfall to combat FFP.
In his best season at the club, the 2021/22 campaign, Smith Rowe netted 10 times in the league and he showed flashes of that form over the summer with some exciting performances for England’s Young Lions as they won the Under-21 European Championship.
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