Perry Groves has suggested that Mikel Arteta wants one Arsenal star to leave this summer after a season of limited game time.
The 42-year-old Emirates Stadium manager has done a lot right during his tenure on the touchline at Arsenal, yet one thing Arteta could be criticised for is his approach to squad rotation and sharing out the minutes.
With Arteta having an overreliance on certain players in specific positions, this season has seen a number of talented players in the Arsenal squad fail to make an impact due to how little they were used despite their obvious qualities.
And one such player is now being tipped to leave this summer for the good of his career.
Emile Smith Rowe urged to leave Arsenal as Arteta claim emerges
Speaking on TalkSport, former Arsenal star Groves made the claim that Arteta might want Emile Smith Rowe to leave this summer for the good of his career, with Fulham now reportedly interested in the England international.
Groves said: “Emile Smith Rowe, he has got to go because he is too good to be a squad player. At the age he is, he has got to be playing regularly, and this isn’t because of PSR, 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.
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“He can play as a 10, he can play on the right, he can play on the left, 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.”
Smith Rowe will be caught in two mindsets this summer
Smith Rowe is clearly a talented player who can offer something few Arsenal players can in the current squad in regards to his space-invading and attacking output when in top form.
Yet having hardly played this season despite being fully fit for the majority of the campaign, Smith Rowe will be caught in two minds on what he should do this summer and what decision will be best for his career.
Indeed, Arsenal fans want Smith Rowe to succeed more than any player in the current squad, yet after this year, a departure from north London could be what’s needed for the 23-year-old to fulfill his potential.