Mikel Arteta's stance on two Arsenal transfers tells Smith Rowe where he stands

26 October 2023 , 11:48

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Mikel Arteta's stance on two Arsenal transfers tells Smith Rowe where he stands

Mikel Arteta will stand in the way of a transfer if he's determined to keep a player, but appears willing to sanction a potential departure for Emile Smith Rowe.

The Arsenal boss has overseen a huge turnover in players since he arrived in late 2019, turning the Gunners from a midtable outfit as they were then to Premier League title challengers. There are still squad players who are playing sporadic roles.

Smith Rowe and Takehiro Tomiyasu are two of these, with neither men part of Arteta's first choice starting XI at present. But Arteta actively stopped the Japanese star leaving in the summer as Inter Milan circled, despite the arrival of Jurrien Timber, a move which - prior to the Dutchman's injury - pushed Tomiyasu further down the defensive pecking order.

The situation is different for the Arsenal academy graduate however. Chelsea were linked with a move late in the August window, yet didn't make much headway, but now he could be allowed to leave in January if the right offer were forthcoming.

Smith Rowe looked for a period like he was ready to establish himself at the Emirates, signing a new deal and taking on the No 10 shirt. However the emergence of Martin Odegaard and injury issues in the past 15 months have severely limited his game time.

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Arteta's forward players are relatively set with Odegaard, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus all starting when fit. Kai Havertz and Fabio Vieira are both ahead of him in the pecking order too, as are Leandro Trossard and Reiss Nelson in the wide positions.

That has left Smith Rowe's minutes at a premium and he now looks to be at a career crossroads with Newcastle among those linked. Aston Villa are long-time admirers also. So far this season, Smith Rowe has started just once, making a further six appearances from the bench

Emile Smith Rowe and Takehiro Tomiyasu were both linked with summer exits, but the latter has enjoyed much more involvement

Arteta has spoken about Smith Rowe's desire to play more and in September outlined his role going forward, offering no guarantee of minutes.

He said: “The role like everybody else does. To try to give his best and make the team better. I had a conversation with him and it’s important to understand where he is. The first three or four weeks were always going to be tricky for all the clubs.

"You see all the rumours and players who are not happy in every country because it’s one game per week for a month and everybody has a new season with huge aspirations, there are not minutes for everybody."

Arteta's need for Tomiyasu has already been underlined this season with the defender producing quality displays in the Champions League. Smith Rowe meanwhile continues to be more often than not on the outside looking in.

Samuel Meade