Arsenal have rejected an approach from Chelsea over versatile midfielder Emile Smith Rowe, 90min understands.
Having failed to get a deal for Crystal Palace’s Michael Olise over the line, Chelsea remain on the hunt for a player who can help out in a number of different attacking positions and have drawn up a lengthy list of potential targets.
Smith Rowe, who is comfortable both out wide and in midfield, has emerged as an option and Chelsea have reached out to Arsenal to determine the cost of such a deal, but their enquiry was quickly knocked back.
Sources have confirmed to 90min that Arsenal are not currently interested in selling Smith Rowe, not least to a direct rival like Chelsea.
A struggle for minutes this season – Smith Rowe played three minutes at the end of the Community Shield victory and has been an unused substitute in each of Arsenal’s three Premier League games – has seen a handful of clubs reach out over the 23-year-old.
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Aston Villa and Newcastle United have both made contact over potential loan deals but Arsenal, as it stands, are not entertaining Smith Rowe’s departure.
Despite Arsenal’s stance, 90min understands that Smith Rowe is open to the prospect of leaving the Emirates Stadium this summer in search of more first-team football.
Having seen a groin injury ravage the first half of last season, Smith Rowe played a fringe role in Arsenal’s push for the Premier League title. He would end the campaign with 12 league appearances to his name but did not start a match, with only one outing lasting longer than 20 minutes.
The summer arrival of Kai Havertz has only increased the competition for minutes in Smith Rowe’s positions and so the England Under-21 international has not ruled out a summer departure to get his career back on track.
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