Arsenal’s London neighbors Fulham have signed Emile Smith Rowe, 24, on a record transfer deal from the club.
According to Fabrizio Romano, the Gunners have finally accepted Fulham’s £34m bid for Rowe after rejecting two cut-price offers from the club.
Rowe had two years left on his Arsenal contract but wanted a permanent exit solution from the Emirates after struggling for game time since the 2022-23 season.
Details of the deal reveal Fulham will pay £27m transfer-free with £7m as add-ons. Rowe, who was dropped from Arsenal pre-season matches despite making the 26-man squad list, is expected to link up with Fulham for his medical and official unveiling by the club.
He is Fulham’s first signing with the Cottagers hopeful of having him replace Joao Palhinha who has been sold to Bayern Munich this summer.
Emile Smith Rowe
Emile Smith Rowe is an English professional footballer, who played for Arsenal in the Premier League but is now set to switch to London neighbours.
Born on July 24, 2000, in London, Smith Rowe began his football career journey with Arsenal Academy at the age of 10 in 2010. He played for eight years with Arsenal youth teams before transitioning to the club’s first team in 2018.
Emile Smith Rowe Arsenal career
Smith Rowe played for Arsenal youth teams before finally signing his first professional contract with the club in 2018, following his transition to the club’s first team.
Former Arsenal and now Aston Villa manager, Unai Emery, oversaw Emile Smith’s 2018 breakout into the club’s first team. He described the then-burgeoning young midfielder as a top midfield prospect for the club. He would make only 2 Premier League appearances for the club and 20 appearances in the next campaign in 2020/21 season, scoring 2 goals with 4 assists.
The 24-year-old reached his highest season Premier League tally in the 2021-22 season when he recorded 33 Premier League appearances, scoring 10 goals with 2 assists.
Rowe’s Arsenal woes began in the 2022-23 season when he was grounded with a bad injury after the start of the campaign. He missed the first half of the Gunners’ campaign. He returned to make 12 appearances for the club but continued to grapple with niggling injury crisis throughout the campaign.
Towards the beginning of last season, some Premier League clubs began to hover around the player with Arsenal’s London rivals, Chelsea, a big mention in the race for the player.
However, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta confirmed the club is not ready to part ways with Smith Rowe. Meanwhile, the English midfielder’s career was waning. He would make only 13 Premier League appearances for the club, providing one assist.
Mikel Arteta included Rowe in Arsenal’s pre-season squad for the USA tour but did not use the player in the Gunners’ matches amidst strong interest from London neighbors Fulham.
Smith Rowe career stats
Throughout his six-year spell with Arsenal, Rowe has made 80 Premier League appearances for the club, scoring 12 goals. He was also sent on temporary loan spells to RB Leipzig and Huddersfield in 2019 and 2020, respectively.
He has made 114 appearances for Arsenal in all competitions, scoring 18 goals. Rowe is one of the few English footballers who have played for all England youth levels, from U-16s to U-20s, before playing for the senior national team.
He made his England debut in 2021 and has been capped three times since then.
Smith Rowe contract
Despite an injury-hit campaign, Rowe penned down a new three-year contract with Arsenal in 2023. His new contract with Fulham is yet to be disclosed. However, close sources reveal he has apparently agreed to a long-term contract with the club. He is expected to complete his medical and seal the move this week.
