Arsenal may perhaps have an ace up their sleeve should they decide to follow up on their interest in Conor Gallagher in the summer transfer window, after making contact over a potential move for the Chelsea star.
Arsenal have entered the race to sign Gallagher, with the midfielder approaching the final year of his current contract at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea have previously encouraged clubs to make a move for Gallagher, given his contract situation. But given that the Blues have now appointed Enzo Maresca as their new manager, there is perhaps fresh question marks over what the future holds for a number of their players.
Chelsea have not exactly been vindicated for selling for the likes of Jorginho and Kai Havertz to the Gunners in the last couple of years, so they may have reservations about the idea of selling Gallagher to Arteta’s men.
Arsenal may have an ace up their sleeve in reported Conor Gallagher pursuit
Arsenal meanwhile, signed David Raya on an initial loan at the end of last summer and did not sign anyone in January, which perhaps hints that Edu will have to be fairly clever with how he uses their budget in this window.
So perhaps, Arsenal should offer Chelsea the chance to sign one of their players given that the Blues did apparently make a move for him last year.
It would be no surprise to see Emile Smith Rowe leave the Gunners in this window, with the attacking midfielder struggling for game-time in the last couple of years.
Chelsea wanted Emile Smith Rowe last summer
Smith Rowe turns 24 next month so he surely cannot afford to spend another year on the periphery of the Arsenal squad if he hopes to realise his full potential. And that path to the first-team could get even more congested should Gallagher also join.
Swap deals do appear to rarely happen in the modern game, but it does seem that clubs will discuss moves which involve players moving in the opposite direction, particularly in an era when it is so important to keep the books balanced.
Chelsea reportedly made a last-minute move for Smith Rowe last summer, and given that they have put so much faith in younger players, it would not be a surprise if he remained on their radar given how likely a move away from Arsenal seems.
Smith Rowe has already proven that he can make an impact in the Premier League, so it may be best for all parties if Arsenal can use him to help improve a bid for one of their targets.