Upset Mikel Arteta delivers heartfelt Emile Smith Rowe send off for player still ‘loved’ at Arsenal

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has issued a heartfelt goodbye message to Emile Smith Rowe after his transfer to Fulham was officially confirmed.

The 24-year-old playmaker has moved to Craven Cottage for an initial £27million fee, which could rise to as much as £34m with add-ons.

It marks the end of a 14-year spell with his boyhood club for Smith Rowe, who first joined the Gunners youth set-up when he was just 10 years of age.

Smith Rowe ended up making 115 appearances for Arsenal in all competitions, scoring 18 goals and his best period at the club came during the 2020/21 season when he was brought into the side and helped end a poor run of form with a 3-1 win over Chelsea on Boxing Day.

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The following season, he was handed the No.10 shirt at The Emirates and ended up scoring 10 goals in 33 Premier League outings.

However, injuries plagued Smith Rowe after that season and he has since struggled to break back into the first team, especially with Martin Odegaard pulling the strings in his favoured No.10 role.

In an emotional statement, Arteta reflected on Smith Rowe’s time at the club, saying: “Emile’s commitment, attitude and energy every day was first class, always stepping up when the team needed him

“He came into the first team and was instrumental during a difficult moment for us.

“He created an important impression, with his strong performances making our supporters proud.”

Arteta backs Smith Rowe call to move on

Arteta also admitted that he is upset to see Smith Rowe depart but appreciates it’s the right time for him to move on to increase his game time.

He added: “I’m sad that Emile is leaving us, but excited for him to take this new opportunity at this stage of his career, when he needs to be starting matches and playing regularly.

“Emile is loved by everyone at the club and leaves us with our gratitude, absolute respect and best wishes.

“We all wish Emile and his family well at Fulham.”

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Smith Rowe, who will be hoping to add to his three England caps after the move, told FFCtv after joining Marco Silva’s side: “I’m finally here, so I’m really happy for me and my family – it’s a good moment.

“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.”