Smith Rowe did not start a single Premier League game last season with injuries plaguing his last 12 months and Mikel Arteta appearing to lose faith in the winger. Nonetheless, staying in north London still looks likely for the Hale End graduate, especially with past comments from Arteta showcasing how important he can be.
Back in March, the Arsenal boss said: "He knows how much we love him, and we know how much we missed him and how much we need his qualities. And now he needs to prove it, he needs to prove how much he wants to win, and how much he's going to contribute to this team to be better and win. And he's going to have to show that to get in the team.
However, even with Arteta's strong verdict, Smith Rowe could still yet leave the club with Chelsea's approach seeming to alert a number of clubs. According to 90min, Aston Villa and Newcastle have shown interest in taking Smith Rowe on loan, but currently the Gunners are not open to that outcome.
Arteta training Smith Rowe to play in a midfield role shows he wants to integrate him back into the senior squad, but Kai Havertz, Fabio Vieira and Leandro Trossard currently appear ahead of him in that regard. Therefore, a loan move to a Premier League team where he can build up minutes could be perfect for Smith Rowe with consistent game time unlikely to come at Emirates Stadium.
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