Emile Smith Rowe’s Arsenal exit has been confirmed as the club reached an agreement with local rivals Fulham for the midfielder.
Emile Smith Rowe Set to Sign for Fulham
Record Signing for Fulham
According to Fabrizio Romano, Fulham have reached an agreement with Arsenal for the transfer of Smith Rowe after their second bid was accepted. The deal will be worth £34 million(£27 million plus £7 million in add-ons).
This is a club-record transfer for Fulham, making Smith Rowe their most expensive signing. Their previous biggest signing was that of OGC Nice’s Jean Michael Seri, who signed for £27 million in the summer of 2018.
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Fulham’s first bid, worth £30 million was rejected a few weeks back. However, the West London club were in no mood to accept defeat since they had identified Smith Rowe as the priority transfer target.
The money received from this deal will be accounted for as pure profit as Smith Rowe graduated from Arsenal’s Hale End academy. This will help the club to stay within the financial boundaries drawn by the Profit and Sustainability Rules.
Medical to Take Place Soon
Fulham have also agreed on personal terms with Smith Rowe, whose focus was on getting more playing time. The Gunners’ midfielder has been a victim of recurring injuries in recent years and thus had to miss a chunk of his team’s matches. If he can stay fit at Craven Cottage, manager Marco Silva will have no second thoughts about throwing him into the starting lineup.
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Dharmesh Sheth also added that Smith Rowe’s medicals were booked for this week, meaning the move could become official soon. Once the medicals are completed, he is expected to join the club’s pre-season training camp in Portugal.
The Cottagers should be delighted with the signing of an attack-minded player like Smith Rowe, especially after they lost forward Bobby De Cordova-Reid to Leicester City on a free transfer earlier this month. The 24-year-old will give Fulham some much-needed attacking impetus and urgency in the final-third.
In Smith Rowe, Fulham have secured one of the most “promising” English youngsters and are the right environment for him to elevate his career.
