Arsenal midfielder Emile Smith Rowe is wanted by Championship side Luton Town, FootballTransfers can exclusively reveal.
According to sources, Luton are hoping to sign Smith Rowe on a loan deal to replace Ross Barkley, who will re-sign for Aston Villa.
Manager Rob Edwards believes the offensively minded midfield player could help Luton Town make an immediate return to the Premier League following their strong fight against relegation in their debut campaign.
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Smith Rowe, who is 23 years old, displayed superb form in the game against the Hatters in April, earning high praise from Edwards for his performance.
The Luton boss said: “He’s a really good player. I was lucky enough, he probably won’t remember, but I did a few England camps with him at the Under-20s when I was at the FA, and I thought he was outstanding.
“We played Portugal. We won 4-0 in Portugal [in 2019] and I thought he was brilliant and I’ve always been a big admirer of his.
“I thought he was really good. He’s a top player. They’ve got a lot of top players here and he’s just been unfortunate not to get in but I think he’s an exceptional player.”
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Smith Rowe’s future in the balance
It is still uncertain whether or not the Arsenal favourite will leave the Emirates this summer.
Discussions over Smith Rowe’s future have taken place, and it’s believed that he wants to stay and fight for his place in Mikel Arteta’s plans next season.
On the flip side, a loan move to Luton under Edwards, who clearly has a great deal of respect for him, could provide the regular game time he needs to rediscover the level that once saw him earmarked as one of English football’s brightest talents.
Smith Rowe, who has an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €13.5 million, played 19 times for Arsenal last season, chipping in with two assists as Arteta’s side finished as Premier League runners-up for the second season in succession.
