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Fulham have officially announced the signing of Arsenal midfielder Emile Smith Rowe for an initial fee of £27m.
The south London side haven’t officially disclosed the total fee for the England international, though it is understood that the deal may rise to £34m with add-ons, making it a club record fee for the Cottagers.
Smith Rowe, who joined the Gunners at the age of 10, made his debut for the club at 18 and has since made 80 appearances, scoring 12 goals.
He suffered a knee injury last October and was ruled out for six weeks, eventually playing just 346 minutes in the Premier League as Arsenal narrowly lost the league title to Manchester City.
The 24-year-old has three senior England caps, the last of which came in March 2022, and he was a member of the squad that won the Uefa European U21 Championship last summer.
“I’m finally here, so I’m really happy for me and my family – it’s a good moment,” said Smith Rowe to Fulham’s official TV channel.
““I’m really excited, I just wanted to get here as quickly as possible so I could get going with my teammates.
“Listening to the project, speaking to the Manager, and seeing what players we have here already, I think it’s an exciting project for me, and definitely the perfect step for my career going forward.”
Fulham vice-chairman Tony Khan added that he was“thrilled to announce the arrival of Emile Smith Rowe”.
“We’re very excited to sign such a talented young player, and we look forward to Emile joining the squad in Portugal as we continue to prepare for the new season ahead.”
Smith Rowe becomes Fulham’s second high-profile signing of the summer, after the club completed a deal to bring back former Spurs defender Ryan Sessegnon. The Cottagers are also interested in Manchester United’s Scott McTominay, with reports suggesting they have tabled a £20m bid for the Scot in light of star midfielder Joao Palhinha having left for Bayern Munich in a £45m deal.
Source: independent.co.uk
