Aston Villa Revive Interest in Arsenal Midfielder Emile Smith Rowe

According to latest reports in England, Aston Villa are very keen on signing Arsenal midfielder Emile Smith Rowe in this summer transfer window. Manager Unai Emery is looking to strengthen his team ahead of next season and has identified the Englishman as a potential target.

Emile Smith Rowe has been with Arsenal since his childhood. He joined the Hale End academy at the age of 10, playing in the youth setup till 2018. He was promoted to the senior squad after signing a professional contract in 2018. He made his first-team debut in September 2018 against Vorskla Poltava in the Europa League.

The 23-year-old spent two loan spells at RB Leipzig and Huddersfield Town from 2018 to 2020 before establishing himself as a key member of the first-team. The attacking midfielder has featured in 115 games, accumulating 18 goals and 13 assists across all competitions (stats via Transfermarkt).

Emile Smith Rowe, Aston Villa — Image Obtained Via Arsenal.com

Now, as reported by Give Me Sport, Aston Villa have expressed interest in signing Arsenal midfielder Emile Smith Rowe this summer. The Lions had previously tried to sign the English midfielder in 2021 but the Gunners rejected their offer. Now, the PL side have revived their interest in the player.

Villa are looking to bring in reinforcements in the summer, with the club set to make their debut in the Champions League next season. Manager Unai Emery has previously worked with the attacking midfielder at the Emirates and is keen to sign him.

Arsenal and ESR initially seemed liked a match made in heaven. But, his recurring injury problems made it difficult for him to develop and hold on to a place in the first-team. He was a regular under Mikel Arteta for the first few years and perfectly fit into the Spaniard’s system, but he struggled with injuries and fell out of the starting line-up.

🚨 Aston Villa Eyeing Arsenal's Emile Smith Rowe Amid Struggles with Arteta

🗣️ Aston Villa has reportedly reignited interest in Arsenal playmaker Emile Smith Rowe as he struggles for game time under Mikel Arteta.

🗣️ Charles Watts said on his YouTube channel, "He [Arteta] could… pic.twitter.com/hiA4fdER97

— Arsenal Informer (@ars_informer) April 24, 2023

The 23-year-old has featured in only 19 games in the 2023-24 season, accumulating a total of 474 minutes across all competitions (Stats via Transfermarkt). Although he suffered a knee injury in the first half of the season, Arteta has plenty of options up front and his attacking department is steady and thriving.

Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli are hogging the left wing. Bukayo Saka is the undisputed starter on the right. Martin Odegaard is bossing the central-attacking midfield role. Smith Rowe cannot be guaranteed starts unless the above-mentioned players under-perform massively.

Moreover, the North Londoners are planning to make major changes in their squad this summer and have put seven players up for sale including Smith Rowe. The club are focusing extensively on building a new and strong squad for the upcoming season and bringing in suitable replacements will be beneficial for the Spanish boss.

There is no question about his skills and potential and he has proved his worth with his performances on every occasion. However, the English midfielder won’t be able to break into the Arsenal starting XI any time soon, given the depth of the squad as well as the team’s consistency.

At 23 years of age, it is his peak developing years, requiring ample game-time. It will certainly be a better choice for Emile Smith Rowe to switch to a team where he will get enough first-team chances and Aston Villa could be a possible destination, with the club also qualifying for the Champions League next season..

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