Emile Smith Rowe is delighted with Arsenal's recent acquisitions of Kai Havertz and Declan Rice. The England under-21 star is relishing the added competition in the centre of the park next season as he enters a do-or-die stretch with the Gunners.
Smith Rowe was one of Arsenal's best players during the 2021/2022 season, bagging 10 goals in the Premier League alone. However, the last 12 months have been a completely different story with the Hale End academy graduate struggling for minutes due to a string of reoccurring injuries.
Arteta is hoping to transition the 22-year-old from a No 10 to a No 8 in order to fill the boots of the departing Granit Xhaka but he will have to battle for a place in the starting lineup with new arrival Havertz, with Rice also coming in to take up minutes in midfielder. Yet Smith Rowe isn't concerned about the competition and is instead happy to see the team adding more depth to his position.
"I see what happens and obviously it’s good for the club to add strength to the team," he told The Sun. "I feel like the additions we’re making are going to really help the team progress again.
Arsenal signed Havertz from Chelsea for £65m
Arsenal signed Kai Havertz from Chelsea for £65m
"It’s really exciting so hopefully we can go one step further next season. Of course (it is extra competition with Havertz's arrival), but this is football.
"You’ve just got to get on with it. I’ve got to keep working hard and it’s healthy competition. I’ve got to keep fighting."
Smith Rowe is currently out in Georgia playing for the England under-21s at the European Championships. He is the only member of the squad with a senior appearance to his name and played with soon-to-be Arsenal man Rice for Gareth Southgate’s men in a 3-0 win over the Ivory Coast last year.
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Recalling how impressed he was by Rice's excellence during his first senior England camp, he said: "I can’t speak highly enough of him. I remember my first camp and I was surprised with how good he actually was.
"He was the best in training. Just his level, intensity, technically, everything he was doing. A real leader and still so young. He was really, really good."
Arsenal had a £105million bid for Rice accepted by West Ham earlier this week, which is split into a £100m base fee plus £5m worth of add-ons. Both clubs are currently discussing the structure of the deal - chiefly the dates for the transfer instalments - and it seems they may have come to an agreement with Rice's shirt recently being pulled from the West Ham club store.
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