Perry Groves has claimed that one Arsenal player simply isn’t good enough to start under Mikel Arteta now.
It’s expected to be yet another busy summer at Arsenal after narrowly missing out on the Premier League title.
Despite an excellent season, Mikel Arteta’s men fell short once again as Manchester City scooped their fourth title on the bounce.
With Arsenal bidding to bolster Arteta’s options at left-back, in midfield and upfront, there are bound to be outgoings this summer.
Plenty of players struggled for minutes under Arteta last term and Emile Smith Rowe certainly falls into that category.
The Englishman managed just 19 appearances in all competitions, racking up a total of 474 minutes.
Smith Rowe has already been tipped to leave the Emirates Stadium during the summer transfer window and former Arsenal man Perry Groves feels the time is right for him to move on.
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Groves urges Emile Smith Rowe to leave Arsenal
Speaking on talkSPORT [02/06 4:45 pm], Groves explained why he wants to see Smith Rowe leave Arsenal in search of regular first-team football.
“Emile Smith Rowe, he has got to go because he is too good to be a squad player,” Groves said. “At the age he is, he has got to be playing regularly, and this isn’t because of the Profit and Sustainability rules, it is because, at the moment, he is not good enough to get into Arsenal’s XI, so he has got to go and play.
“He can play as a 10, he can play on the right-hand side, he can play on the left-hand side, and if you think, before he had his groin injury, he was one of the main players. He had a brilliant spell probably about 18 months ago where he came in, hit the ground running, got into the England squad, scored a few goals.
“Since he got injured, he couldn’t get back into the team, and I think as well, Mikel Arteta will be saying to him, ‘You need to go and play games’. The bonus is because he has come through the academy, it will all go on the PSR.”
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Fulham keen on Smith Rowe
Smith Rowe is unlikely to be short of potential suitors should he decide his future lies away from north London this summer.
Despite a lack of game time over the past couple of seasons, the 23-year-old was previously a key man under Arteta.
Fulham are reportedly readying a move for the Hale End Academy product after claims Arsenal value Smith Rowe at around £60 million.
Given Smith Rowe’s lack of minutes in an Arsenal shirt of late, you’d imagine that Fulham will be hoping to see that asking price drop significantly.