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.
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
