Emile Smith Rowe has signed a new long-term contract with Arsenal, the club have confirmed via their official website.
Smith Rowe, 20, has established himself as a key figure in Mikel Arteta’s plans at the Emirates.
The 3-1 victory over Chelsea on Boxing Day was a turning point in Arsenal’s season, with Arteta placing greater trust in his younger players and Smith Rowe benefiting.
He went on to make a total of 20 Premier League appearances last term, scoring two goals.
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The Croydon-born midfielder’s performances in the second half of the campaign clearly earned him admirers at Villa Park.
As was reported by The Athletic, Aston Villa had two bids, the second of which was worth £30m, snubbed by Arsenal.
The North London giants have now been successful in securing Smith Rowe’s future, having confirmed on Thursday afternoon that he had signed a new long-term deal.
New season.
New contract.
New number.?? @emilesmithrowe pic.twitter.com/DT13LjBD1B
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) July 22, 2021
Smith Rowe will also be wearing the no. 10 shirt for Arsenal going forward, which has been vacant since Mesut Ozil departed back in the January transfer window.
That’s further indication of both his significance to Arteta and the amount of faith Arsenal have in him.
Arsenal have been active on the transfer front in recent weeks, but this may well prove to be one of their most significant deals of the summer.
The club’s technical director Edu and manager Arteta have celebrated Smith Rowe’s contract as part of the statement released on their official website.
Edu: “This is another important step forward for us and we’re all delighted that Emile has signed a new long-term contract. It’s great to see another young player develop through our academy system to become a key part of our first team.”
“Emile is a player who represents the future of the club and this is why we have given him the No 10 shirt. We have trust in Emile and we know he has the potential to be a beautiful player for many years to come.”
Mikel Arteta: “As we all saw last season, Emile is an intelligent player with excellent ability. His sharpness on the turn and exceptional vision have already made him a key player for us.”
“His attitude and willingness to learn have also been very impressive. Huge credit to our team in our academy who have given Emile a great education and have worked superbly to help with his development through the age groups.”
“Along with the first-team staff, huge credit also goes to our senior players, who have played such an important role to help Emile develop, gain confidence and perform the way he did last season.”
“I know the fans will join us in being delighted that Emile has committed his future to the club. We’re now looking forward to helping him develop further and seeing him become even more important to the strong young team we’re building.”
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