Arsenal are said to have received positive approaches from two Premier League sides
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Arsenal are leaning towards a positive sale for one of their stars this summer.
Mikel Arteta has made his opinions clear that the Gunners must strengthen if they are to challenge Manchester City for the Premier League title next season. The Gunners finished just two points behind Pep Guardiola's side, losing five times across an entertaining 2023/24 campaign.
But with a striker and a holding midfielder thought to be the priority, raising vital funds will help Arsenal in their quest for success, with two Premier League clubs having now offered to take away one of Arteta's fringe players.
WATCH | Why Germany Have Been The Best Team At Euro 2024 (So Far)
According to reports from Charles Watts, Fulham and Crystal Palace want to take Emile Smith-Rowe away from the Emirates during the current transfer window. The 23-year-old has suffered with injury over the past 18 months and could now seek a fresh start away from his boyhood club.
Despite making just three Premier League starts last season, Smith-Rowe is a fully fledged England Under-21 international and with age on his side, could prove to be a shrewd addition. Failing to score across the entirety of the 2023/24 term, he did register two assists for the Gunners.
Eddie Nketiah, Aaron Ramsdale and Reiss Nelson are also fellow team-mates of Smith-Rowe who are thought to be contemplating their futures, with sporting director Edu keen to recoup a fee for the quartet in order to fund new additions this year.
Emile Smith-Rowe has featured sporadically for Arsenal over the last 18 months
When asked about their transfer plans, Edu said: "You can’t sign for the sake of signing. This has to be a process that takes weeks and weeks. On my table, I have reports with over 180 pages of a player. It is really detailed. Physical, technical, mental profile – if you have experience of Premier League, if you will be able to adapt. It has it all.
Get FourFourTwo Newsletter
The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.
"We analyse our shortcomings, where we can improve, where we can invest and from there we go in search of this new name. What I am going to do now, we have been discussing since January. It is not my decision or Mikel. It’s from a whole group."
Matthew is a Freelance Journalist and has racked up bylines for Manchester United, Manchester Evening News, GOAL and SPORTbible to name a few. A long-term sufferer of Scunthorpe United, he currently resides in the north-west after escaping the smog of North Lincolnshire.
