If Emile Smith-Rowe was fit and in form this season, he would have been the man to deputise Granit Xhaka and Martin Odegaard, making Arteta able to rotate his midfield easily but even when fit the Boss preferred to put Fabio Vieira on the pitch in front of him.
With talks of Xhaka leaving, Arteta surely once expected the the Arsenal No 10 would have been his replacement. Smith-Rowe has not been himself this season; injuries and a lack of game time have seen him fail to have an impact for Arsenal and has been left on the bench even when fit to join the squad.
Many would have hoped that he would get his mojo back next season after a good preseason. But according to the Mirror, Mikel Arteta is thinking about moving on from the Hale End graduate.
They reckon that the Arsenal boss is considering offloading Smith Rowe and move to sign James Madison as his replacement, who is unlikely to stay at Leicester if they end up in the Championship. Arsenal has long been linked Maddison; they reportedly almost signed him in 2021. His brilliant playmaking ability has dazzled the Premier League fanatics for years.
There’s no doubt the Leicester man, who may be available on the cheap with the Foxes probably going tdown, could be a brilliant addition. But even so, is losing one of Arsenal’s promising prospects worth it? Smith Rowe is a player who could be a force to be reckoned with in years to come. Arteta should know that, but even so, where Arsenal are, they are past being patient; they need results now, so, as Arteta said, ruthless decisions must be made.
Who thinks this would be a sensible move by Arteta, as he hasn’t trusted Smith-Rowe at all this season?
Video – Alfie and Rob are back for the summer transfer window
Here is their first analysis of the summer, where Alfie and Rob discuss and predict every single possible Arsenal incoming and outgoing this summer, including fees and potential destinations for outgoings.
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