Mikel Arteta explains Emile Smith Rowe snub as Arsenal star denied farewell appearance

Emile Smith Rowe didn’t appear in Arsenal’s friendly match with Bournemouth in Los Angeles.

The forward is teetering on a £35million transfer to Fulham, setting a record for both sides as the highest price Fulham have ever paid and matching Arsenal’s biggest sale of Alex Oxlade Chamberlain’s move to Liverpool seven years ago.

The deal remains in progress, pending Smith Rowe’s medical exams and complete agreement on personal terms. Fulham raised their initial offer by £5m to ward off competition from Crystal Palace who also showed interest in the player.

Smith Rowe was scheduled to participate in Wednesday’s game after being listed among the substitutes. However, Mikel Arteta, the Arsenal manager, chose not to include him among the 10 substitutions.

The game ended in a stalemate, with Arsenal securing a victory in a thrilling 5-4 penalty shootout.

Arteta then hinted at developments behind the scenes in his post-match press conference: “Things are happening in the background and we decide the best thing to do was leave him out.”

Smith Rowe’s departure could clear the pathway for Riccardo Calafiori, the talented Italian defender, to officially join Arsenal.

Following weeks of speculation about his next move, it appears Calafiori is set to transfer to north London in a deal estimated around £33.6million, which includes a further £4.2m in add-ons and a sell-on clause.

Calafiori has expressed his preference to play for Arsenal, choosing the Gunners over several other potential clubs. The current complication lies in the ongoing negotiations between Basel and Bologna regarding the terms of sending the 22-year-old defender to Arsenal.

At present, half of the transfer fee is expected to go to Basel, with the remainder going to Italy. It remains uncertain when the deal will be finalised, but it seems inevitable that Arteta will soon secure one of his desired signings.

For Smith Rowe, a move to Fulham signifies a fresh start. Since his debut in 2019, he has made 115 appearances and scored 18 goals, most of which were during the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons.

During these seasons, he netted 12 goals in 53 appearances before being sidelined by injury. Despite limited playing time since August 2022, with only three Premier League starts, Arteta was keen to retain the young talent.

However, it appears that Fulham’s offer was sufficient, and the 23-year-old is set to continue his career elsewhere.