Tottenham tried to sign Emile Smith Rowe from Arsenal when the fleet-footed forward was still a teenager, former Spurs chief David Webb has told The Telegraph.
Two days after the Croydon-born 20-year-old led Jose Mourinho’s defence a merry dance in the north London derby, Webb’s admission serves to apply a coating of seasoning to the gaping wounds.
Smith Rowe was arguably the best player on the pitch as Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal came from behind to defeat their bitter rivals on Sunday afternoon, rattling the bar with a stunning 20-yard strike before leaving Matt Doherty with a nasty case of twisted blood.
It really was a coming-of-age performance to cap a fine breakthrough season from Arsenal’s number 32.
And, to make matters worse for Spurs fans, there was a chance Smith Rowe could have been wearing white rather than red at the Emirates.
Spurs’ loss is most definitely Arsenal’s gain.
“He played against Tottenham for the U18s and really stood out in the number ten role,” says Webb, Spurs’ former head of elite potential identification.
“It was his movement off the ball that was so eye-catching and his work rate as well. For a young player, that sometimes doesn’t come in until later in their development.
“We tried to sign him before he signed his scholarship at Arsenal. He was a player who fitted the way Mauricio Pochettino played and, even at 16, we were looking at him as a potential young player who could progress into the first team.”
It’s no coincidence Arsenal’s season turned around as soon as Smith Rowe was catapulted into Mikel Arteta’s starting XI in December, making an immediate impact in the 3-1 triumph over Chelsea.
Since then, the home-grown starlet has produced four assists in the Premier League, giving Arteta the cutting edge and bite his once toothless side was crying out for.
“I think he had a magnificent performance again,” said Arteta after Martin Odegaard and Alexandre Lacazette secured a hard-fought triumph on Sunday.
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