West Ham are reportedly interested in securing a loan deal for Arsenal midfielder Emile Smith Rowe.
Despite Smith Rowe facing challenges, including groin surgery that limited his role in Arsenal’s previous title challenge, Mikel Arteta has emphasised that the player is currently “settled” in North London. This signals the manager’s intention to retain Smith Rowe’s services for the time being.
The England international has faced challenges this season, dealing with a knee issue that has limited his playing time. Despite regaining fitness, he has been primarily utilised in cameo appearances, making only one start out of 12 appearances across all competitions.
There are reports indicating that West Ham are interested in securing a loan deal for Emile Smith Rowe until the end of the season, thus providing an opportunity for the 23-year-old to develop away from the Emirates.
However, Mikel Arteta downplayed speculation about Smith Rowe leaving in the current transfer window, suggesting that the academy graduate is not likely to depart before Saturday’s match against Crystal Palace. This indicates Arteta’s intention to keep the player in the squad for the immediate future.
Arteta expressed in his latest press conference: “I’m really happy with Emile. He’s in the right trajectory. Now, he’s settled, he’s training really well and you know I’m not going to talk about individual situations.”