It’s time for Mikel Arteta to be even more ruthless at Arsenal.
From the day Arteta landed on Arsenal’s doorstep as their new manager in 2019, he has made big call after big call.
From keeping Granit Xhaka at the club, booting out Mesut Ozil, giving Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang the same treatment and even swapping his goalkeepers last term.
Arteta hasn’t been afraid to show who is the Arsenal boss, and as of this moment, it’s paying off because fans believe more than ever before that they can become champions.
Yes, Arsenal were narrowly beaten to the Premier League title last season, but they seem to be the only ones who can dethrone Manchester City.
For that to happen, Arteta needs to become even more ruthless in the transfer market, even if it means breaking the fans’ hearts.
It has been well-documented that Arsenal are close to securing a deal for Riccardo Calafiori after he impressed for Bologna last season.
But for those transfers to come in, and a bit more, the squad players at the club need to be moved on, regardless of how popular they are.
Andy Townsend was reacting to the future of Emile Smith Rowe and how is expected to head across London and join Fulham.
Sources have told HITC that Arteta has reluctantly given the green light for Smith Rowe to join Fulham.
Townsend thinks Smith Rowe is a ‘very talented boy’ and he backed the idea of the 24-year-old securing a transfer to Craven Cottage, as he told talkSPORT (28/07/24 at 5:30 pm).
Emile Smith Rowe to leave Arsenal
“That’s a really good move, I think for him,” said Townsend. “To go to a club where, again, he is going to play, more often than not. It will be interesting to see where Emile (Smith Rowe) plays in that team, and whereabouts they want to deploy him.
“He is clearly a talented player. He was never going to get the minutes that he needs. It is only so long that you can sit around. I don’t like it when players sit around and are happy to be at clubs, getting 12 games a season. You shouldn’t be content or happy with that. I appreciate there is a process you have to go through as a young player where that happens, but when you then get to the point where Emile is now, he has been around a good while, he needs to be playing more often than not, so that would be a good move for him. I am looking forward to seeing him showcase what he can do.
“Very talented boy. If he has got the right boys around him, plays in those little pockets of space where he can pick the ball up and make something happen. I think he can be a really dangerous player.”
Emile Smith Rowe will thrive at Fulham
Injuries and a lack of game time have killed Smith Rowe’s progression and now he needs to get that momentum back – Arsenal have been backed to sign Eberechi Eze ahead of Smith Rowe’s expected exit.
First of all, that comes with starting regular games, fitting into a system and then getting to work.
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Smith Rowe will fit in perfectly at Craven Cottage for a manager like Marco Silva, who has a knack for getting the best out of struggling players.
Just look at Willian, he was finished at Arsenal, went back to Brazil where things became worse and now he is back to his best under Silva’s stewardship.
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