Emile Smith Rowe would be a great fit for Newcastle United.
That is the view of former Tottenham and Aston Villa defender Alan Hutton, who believes the young playmaker should consider a move to St. James’ Park amid the uncertainty surrounding his Arsenal career.
Falling out of favour with Mikel Arteta in recent seasons, Smith Rowe, 23, has been forced to play second fiddle to both Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard.
With less than three years left on his deal, the 23-year-old now faces an important season. Failure to be awarded more first-team game time by his manager could see him offloaded either in January or at the end of the campaign.
According to recent reports, including this one from the Northern Echo, Eddie Howe’s Magpies are one club who have been discussing the possibility of making a mid-season approach for the London-born attacker.
And Hutton feels a potential transfer could benefit all parties.
“I think he is a top talent, there is no getting away from that,” he told Football Insider.
“He has showed it at Arsenal so it has really been a shame the injuries. He has had to fight to get back in and Arsenal have done really well without him.
“I think Newcastle, and if you look at the likes of players they have signed, they give young talented players an opportunity. Could he fit into that? Of course he could, I can see it happening.
“It is going to be down to him. Does he see his future at Arsenal? Does he want to force his way back in? Or does he want to look for a fresh challenge?
“Newcastle is a good prospect moving forward, they are going in the right direction and he might want to be part of that.“
Since being promoted to the Gunners’ first team in 2020, Smith Rowe, who has represented England on three occasions, has directly contributed to 29 goals in 102 games in all competitions.