Huddersfield Town chairman Phil Hodgkinson says that he tried to sign Emile Smith-Rowe from Arsenal this summer, in his comments to the Examiner Live.
Smith-Rowe joined Huddersfield on loan from Arsenal last season, and he impressed in the second half of the campaign.
The attacking midfielder was a key player for them, with his creativity coming to the fore in the second tier.
Huddersfield wanted to have Smith-Rowe back with them this season, but they were knocked back as Mikel Arteta wanted to keep the youngster around.
“We did enquire about some without a shadow of a doubt,” Hodgkinson said.
“We’d already made it clear to Arsenal before the end of the season that if Emile Smith Rowe was available we wanted him but they wanted him in their first-team squad.
“It’s a very very different market at the moment. That may change in January and we’ll continue to look at that, and as always if it’s the right player and the right deal then we’ll absolutely consider it.”
If Huddersfield do try again for Smith-Rowe in January, they may have more luck.
Despite Arteta’s desire to keep him around, he hasn’t used him at all in Arsenal’s first-team this season.
The likes of Willian and Joe Willock have been favoured in attacking midfield roles for the Gunners, with Smith-Rowe not really getting a look in.
That may not be great for Smith’s Rowe’s development, and Arsenal may well look to ship him out on loan at the next opportunity, unless he break into the first-team between now and the year now.
Arsenal’s record transfer deals
- Nicolas Pepe
£72 million
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
£56 million
- Alexandre Lacazette
£52 million
- Thomas Partey
45 million
- Mesut Ozil
£42 million
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