Arsenal midfielder Emile Smith Rowe was in attendance for Saturday’s friendly against Manchester United, but he was completely excluded from the squad for the pre-season fixture.
The England international had been named on the bench for Arsenal’s previous pre-season game against Bournemouth, but he didn’t come on, with Mikel Arteta suggesting “things are happening in the background”.
Though he didn’t clarify further, it is believed that Arteta was referring to Fulham’s bid to sign Smith Rowe. The player’s exclusion from Saturday’s squad suggests the move could be even further along now.
Fabrizio Romano reports that Smith Rowe was indeed unavailable as he’s expected to join Fulham next week. There are still some final details to sort before getting it done, but talks are reportedly at an advanced stage.
David Ornstein had confirmed earlier this week that Fulham were close to reaching an agreement with Arsenal for Smith Rowe.
Talks were heading for a deal in the region of £35m, which would be both Fulham’s record signing and Arsenal’s joint-biggest sale.
Arsenal had turned down an initial £30m bid from Fulham, but with the Cottagers upping their offer, a deal is seemingly now close.
Smith Rowe is obviously yet to hold a medical or sign a contract, given he’s still with the Arsenal squad in the United States. But if Romano’s report is correct, the formalities will be completed in the next seven days.
24-year-old Smith Rowe played 475 minutes for Arsenal last season across 19 appearances (four starts).
With academy players like Ethan Nwaneri and Salah-Eddine Oulad M’Hand impressing in pre-season, Arteta looks to have the options to fill the gap Smith Rowe’s exit would leave.
