So Arsenal star Emile Smith-Rowe can be signed for a very reasonable price by West Ham United this summer it seems.
West Ham boss Julen Lopetegui is determined to strengthen his ranks at the London Stadium this summer, and Emile Smith-Rowe could well be a target for the Spaniard.
In fact, David Moyes tried to bring him to the Hammers last summer, but he remained in north London in the end.
This summer, Lopetegui will undoubtedly be on the hunt for a right-footed left winger, with Said Benrahma closing in on a permanent move to Lyon.
The beauty of Smith-Rowe is that he can play in that position, as well as the number 10, out wide on the right or even a bit deeper.
He is somewhat of a jack of all trades, and an exceptionally gifted one at that, so you could be forgiven for think that he’d be a great signing for West Ham.
I don’t actually have that viewpoint, but if he was guaranteed to play 40 games a season my opinion would change dramatically.
So with the Hammers chasing ESR, could he really move to the London Stadium this summer?
West Ham can sign Arsenal star Emile Smith-Rowe for just £25m
The Hammers may well want to sign him, but there has been a big, unexpected twist
The Gunners’ demands for the Hale End academy graduate are fair in this day and age.
According to a report from The Sun, Arsenal are willing to sell Emile Smith-Rowe for £25 million this summer.
West Ham were strongly linked with a move to sign the 24-year-old Gunners ace earlier this month, with the north London outfit then demanding £30 million for him.
They’ve now lowered those demands, but the twist is that Smith-Rowe doesn’t actually want to leave the Emirates, and would instead prefer to stay and fight for his place under Mikel Arteta.
That is a rather unexpected stance, considering just how little football he played last season.
I can’t see him staying at Arsenal, with the north London outfit clearly so desperate to sell him.
He does have undeniable ability, and possesses exceptional technique. As touched upon earlier, Smith-Rowe can play all across the front line or even as part of a central midfield three.
The 23-year-old has an impressive burst of pace and he has proven with the Gunners that he can be a real difference maker at Premier League level.
However, I don’t think we should be going anywhere near the Arsenal man.
His recent fall from grace is perhaps best described by The Guardian, who suggest that the 23-year-old has become somewhat of a ‘bit-part enigma’.
He has missed a massive 132 games for club and country through injury since the start of the 2018 season (Transfermarkt).
That’s clearly not good enough, and even if Arsenal are demanding just £25 million for Emile Smith-Rowe, West Ham should still focus on other transfer targets this summer.
It’s a moot point though it seems, with the Englishman keen to remain at the Emirates.
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