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Report: Arsenal could hand number 10 shirt to ‘talented’ player to get him to sign new contract

Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images
Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images
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Photo by David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images

Arsenal may offer Emile Smith Rowe the number 10 shirt to convince him to sign a new contract with them, ESPN report.

The Arsenal jersey is vacant following the departure of Mesut Ozil in January.

At the moment no Arsenal player has claimed the strip, but that will change in the summer.

Alexandre Lacazette and William both apparently would like the number 10 shirt, while Pierre Emerick Aubameyang is also touted as another potential candidate to be handed it.

But ESPN say that Arsenal may well give the number to Smith Rowe as an incentive to tie him down the long-term.

Arsenal are keen to get Smith Rowe to commit his future to the club, after a fine breakthrough season this year.

Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images

If he was given the number 10 shirt it would really highlight his progress in the last few months, where he has gone from a reserve to a key first-team player.

And if Smith Rowe, who was hailed as ‘very talented’ by Roy Keane (Sky), does pen a new deal then it could be a very smart move from the Gunners in negotiations.