Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has decided not to sell midfield talent Emile Smith Rowe and will give him opportunities next season, according to journalist Charles Watts.
Who could leave Arsenal this summer?
The Gunners have already sealed a plethora of marquee additions this summer as sporting director Edu seeks to strengthen Arteta's ranks, coming after they fell just short in the title race last season.
Alongside Germany international Kai Havertz, Arsenal have put pen to paper on deals for Jurrien Timber from Ajax and a £105 million club-record deal for England international Declan Rice.
There are suggestions that Arsenal could add even more players to their squad, despite spending nearly £200 million already, with Southampton starlet Romeo Lavia believed to be on their radar too.
Certain players will need to make way to balance the books, though, with Bayer Leverkusen signing Granit Xhaka recently. Thomas Partey has been linked with an Arsenal departure among others, with midfielder Smith Rowe also previously mentioned as a candidate for the chopping block.
Sharing an update on the latter player's future, it is believed Arteta now has zero intention of letting the 22-year-old leave, with reporter Watts claiming he is set to given a chance next season.
“He’s certainly not on the Arsenal scrapheap,” Watts told TEAMtalk.
“Mikel Arteta has told him that he wants him to stay. I think going into the summer, I thought there was a good chance he could probably go… But by all accounts they want him to stay and are going to give him an opportunity, which I’m really happy with.
“We all kind of forget how good Emile Smith Rowe is and how good he was when he burst onto the scene. Injuries have obviously hampered him a lot but he’s got so much to give. He’s such a good player. He’s so smart, he’s technically excellent, he can finish. And he’s got everything you need to be successful in this Arsenal team.
“I think one of the big errors that Arteta made last season was the way he rotated his squad. There were a lot of opportunities, especially in the second half of last season, when Smith Rowe was fit. He had the opportunities to get him some minutes and start putting pressure on those in front of him in the first team. But he just didn’t do it. He just didn’t bring him off the bench and didn’t give him the game time he needed.
“So I just hope that this season is different and he does give him some minutes to try and impress because he’s a hell of a talent. I think a lot of people have forgotten just how good he is. I think he’s really special.”
How good is Emile Smith Rowe?
The Englishman, before his unlucky 2022/2023 campaign, thoroughly impressed under Arteta when given the opportunity.
Smith Rowe, over the 21/22 season, played 20 league matches and ranked among Arsenal's top eight best-performing players by average match rating according to WhoScored.
The attacking midfielder chipped in with two goals and four assists that year and managed to equal Martin Odegaard's number of successful key passes per 90 in the final third (WhoScored).
There is certainly a creative asset there and we believe Smith Rowe should certainly be handed a chance.