“It would be sad to see him leave” - Darren Bent hurt by Arsenal star who ‘saved Arteta’s job’ being linked with transfer
Darren Bent has stated that he is sad about Emile Smith Rowe being linked with a move away from Arsenal. Bent claims that the Englishman saved Mikel Arteta's job and that he loves watching the youngster play.
Speaking on talkSPORT, Bent claimed that the Gunners are looking to sell Smith Rowe because they need to balance the books. However, he also believes that it might be down to the player wanting to play more.
"It might be also, not balancing the books, but also about profit and Arsenal selling him. You are right, he had that season when he and Saka almost saved Arteta's job. Arteta was struggling and them two were brilliant. But you get 100% profit from Emile Smith Rowe. It would be sad to see him leave. As a young kid coming through, I loved watching him play for Arsenal, but again, if he is not going to get many opportunities, then he needs to play," Bent said.
Smith Rowe's breakthrough season under Arteta was in 2020-21. However, the youngster's best season at the Emirates was 2021-22. He scored 10 goals and provided two assists as the Gunners finished fifth with 69 points, just two points adrift of fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur.
Smith Rowe was nursing a knee injury last season and missed matches in November and December. He was available for the last few matches but was benched by Arteta for five of the last six games.
Emile Smith Rowe urged to leave Arsenal by former player
Ray Parlour has told Emile Smith Rowe that it is time for him to leave Arsenal. He believes that the youngster needs to be playing every week and that is not going to happen at the Emirates.
He told the online casino portal InstantCasino:
"Smith Rowe might come to a stage in his career, and say, 'look I need to play. I need to play on a regular basis now. I'm getting that little bit older. I'm going to regret it if I don't play on a regular basis'. I think Mikel Arteta has been there as a footballer himself. If he doesn't stand in his way, then Arsenal will try and do a deal and get the most money they can for him [Smith Rowe]."
"It's frustrating for players, it really is. Sitting on that sideline, not playing on a regular basis, in this day and age you need 26 in the squad. The games now come thick and fast and they'll probably be used in certain games and maybe come off the bench, but Smith Rowe is really relying on injuries to get a chance," Parlour added.
Smith Rowe played just 474 minutes last season across his 19 appearances in all competitions. He could not get to score a single goal but managed two assists.