Arsenal’s Emile Smith Rowe Transfer Stance is Spot On

Arsenal have made plans to nurture Emile Smith Rowe’s development.

With just four Premier League starts to his name, three coming in the last three Arsenal matches, the hype around Emile Smith Rowe is immeasurable.

And so it should be, he’s been superb throughout the most recent trio of results. You can’t help but wonder how the matches against Chelsea, Brighton and West Brom would have turned out had he not have featured. Of course, it’s all hypothetical.

Even with that in mind, if you’re searching for pivotal reasons behind Arsenal’s upturn in form, and crucially performances, the role Smith Rowe has played in the nine-point streak is front and centre.

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I, like many others, have been screaming out for profiles to push established names to one side. No more square pegs in round holes simply down to the individual’s longevity in the game. It’s a method that ceases only to weaken your managerial credentials and cause disruption elsewhere.

Smith Rowe has come into the fold with the exact skillset one needs to forge more incisive passages of play in advanced areas. All of a sudden, Arsenal have someone capable of drifting into space and playing triangles up through the thirds. A player whose movement is measured and penetrative.

Of course, Smith Rowe is so much more than simply ‘a No. 10’, and all of the elements one could asked for in a player of his position are being performed to the highest standard. Sometimes, he needn’t do anything to have an impact on the game. Just being there can be effective. This isn’t to say Smith Rowe drifts out of matches, only exemplifying how important playing profiles for certain job roles can be.

With January upon Mikel Arteta and his side, the need for reinforcements remains just as strong. Yes, Smith Rowe has proven himself to be more than capable at Premier League level, but to ask a 20-year-old with just four league starts to his name to bear the creative mantle in three competitions and with a questionable injury record behind him is putting your eggs into one poorly woven basket. It’s a huge risk.

As has been revealed by David Ornstein on The Athletic YouTube channel, Arsenal have set out their plan for Smith Rowe’s development, and it’s a wise one.