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Mikel Arteta affirms that Emile Smith Rowe is content with being at Arsenal, despite rumors of West Ham’s interest.
Smith Rowe has endured a frustrating time since he hit 10 goals in the 2021-22 campaign, with groin surgery restricting his role in the club’s unsuccessful title challenge last season.
Smith Rowe, who plays for England, has faced difficulties with a knee problem this season. Despite being healthy, the 23-year-old has only made brief appearances in 12 matches across all competitions, with just one start in the Premier League.
According to reports, West Ham has reached out to sign Smith Rowe on a temporary basis. However, Arteta has downplayed speculation that the young player may depart this month, as Crystal Palace prepares to face Arsenal on Saturday.
Arteta expressed his satisfaction with Emile’s progress, stating that he is on the right path.
Currently, he has adjusted and is performing well in training. I will not discuss individual circumstances.
“Emile is Emile, and we are thrilled to have him on our team due to his exceptional qualities.”
“He requires opportunities to demonstrate his passion and skill on the field. To accomplish this, we must provide him with playing time.”
Smith Rowe has not had many opportunities in the past few weeks, even though Arsenal has been struggling to maintain their early season performance.
The team’s recent performance has been disappointing, with three consecutive losses and only one win in their last seven games, including a loss to Liverpool in the FA Cup on January 7. However, their manager has stated that the players are now “fully recharged” after a training camp in Dubai.
“We are revitalized, bursting with enthusiasm and highly driven, thus we are eager to approach the latter half of the season with great determination, knowing that our team is capable of achieving great success. The players are fully convinced of this,” stated Arteta.
The camp was absolutely amazing. We were able to rest and relax, and the beautiful weather and surroundings definitely contributed to that. The time we spent together as a group was wonderful, and we feel completely rejuvenated now.
During this disappointing seven-game stretch, scoring goals has been a challenge for Arsenal, with only five being scored. However, Arteta emphasized that they will not be pursuing a new striker in the upcoming January transfer window.
He refused because he has a strong attachment to the current players on the team.
Arteta did not reveal much about Arsenal’s injured players, but it was known that both Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel Jesus were absent from the team’s loss to Liverpool before the mid-season break due to foot and knee injuries respectively.
“Each person’s status is not something I am able to disclose, but we are uncertain about a few individuals. You will find out.”
The manager of Arsenal provided more details about the recovery of Jurrien Timber, who suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in August but has now joined the team for their training camp.
According to Arteta, he stated that he is currently a long way from being able to compete. This is the realistic situation.
“Is there a possibility that he could make a significant impact before the season ends? If everything goes as planned, it seems like that could be a possibility. However, it’s currently too soon to determine.”
Source: independent.co.uk
