Mikel Arteta is in danger of repeating a past Arsenal transfer mistake if he allows one player to leave the club this summer.
Arsenal may well now regret having ever let Serge Gnabry leave the Emirates Stadium.
The German winger began his senior career in North London, having joined the Gunners’ Hale End academy system as a 16-year-old in 2011. He went on to make 18 first-team appearances for Arsenal, under the management of Arsene Wenger.
However, Gnabry was never really afforded the opportunity to establish himself as a first team regular in red and white, and in 2016 he was allowed to join Werder Bremen for an initial fee of only £4 million. Just one year later, he had joined Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich.
As Mikel Arteta’s men took on Bayern Munich in the first-leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie at the Emirates Stadium last week, Gnabry returned to haunt his former club has he grabbed a goal.
Since his switch to the Allianz Arena, the 28-year-old has made 235 appearances for Bayern Munich, across all competitions, scoring 86 goals. He has also won five Bundesliga titles and one Champions League crown, amongst other honours.
Given all of his subsequent success, Arsenal will likely feel that it was a mistake to let Gnabry leave the club in the first place. That is now an error that Arteta is at risk of repeating, as questions have been raised about the future of Emile Smith Rowe.
Does Emile Smith Rowe still have a future at Arsenal?
According to The Athletic, Smith Rowe is one of twelve Arsenal stars who could depart in the upcoming summer transfer window.
The Hale End academy graduate has been on the fringes of the Arsenal squad for the last couple of seasons, as recurrent injury issues have stalled his career. However, the 23-year-old still has vast potential and has proven that he can shine at Premier League level before.
Former Arsenal winger Theo Walcott recently described Smith Rowe as a potential “game-changer.” At his best, the three-cap England international brings flair, creativity, and goal threat to the team.
Mikel Arteta must apply Serge Gnabry lesson to Emile Smith Rowe
Arteta has insisted that Smith Rowe remains in his plans, but even so, the midfielder’s future remains in doubt.
Selling Smith Rowe this summer would be a mistake. Whilst the last two seasons clearly haven’t gone according to plan, he remains a player with a big future ahead of him. Arsenal need to give him every opportunity to reach his potential at the club.
The Gunners must learn the lesson from Gnabry’s sale and keep faith in Smith Rowe, rather than run the risk of him exploding and becoming an elite-level player elsewhere.
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