The new Smith Rowe: Arsenal chasing "sensational" £50m Premier League star

While they didn’t do an awful lot of buying last summer, Arsenal made a lot of money through sales.

Mikel Arteta and Co managed to get £30m from Crystal Palace for Eddie Nketiah, up to £25m for Aaron Ramsdale from Southampton and up to £34m for Emile Smith Rowe from Fulham.

Of those three players, it would be fair to say that the Gunners have missed Smith Rowe the most, as injuries and poor form have seen their attack seriously underwhelmed this season – as exemplified by the fact Liverpool has scored 17 more goals than them in the Premier League.

However, while Arsenal can’t just bring the Cottagers’ new star back to the Emirates this summer, recent reports have linked them with another exciting player who could become their new version next season.

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In part, thanks to their lacklustre spending last summer and their underwhelming domestic campaign this season, Arsenal look set for a big summer of spending, and one of the names most heavily touted for a move to N5 is Viktor Gyokeres.

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The Sporting CP superstar is reportedly available for around £70m, and while that is nothing to sniff at, it might just prove to be a bargain for the Swedish international, as in just 48 appearances this season, he’s scored a mind-blowing 52 goals and provided 12 assists to boot.

Another incredible international player linked with the Gunners is Real Madrid star Rodrygo.

The Brazilian winger could be available for an astronomical fee of around £123m at the end of the season, and while that might be too much, there is no doubt that the 24-year-old would improve the North Londoners, as he’s racked up 23 goal involvements in 50 games this season.

However, neither of the aforementioned superstars could be deemed as the club’s new Smith Rowe, unlike Jacob Ramsey.

Yes, according to a recent report from journalist Graeme Bailey, Arsenal are one of several teams interested in signing the Aston Villa ace this summer.

Alongside the Gunners, the report has revealed that Chelsea and Manchester City are also keen on the 23-year-old and that there is a real chance Villa could let him leave once the window opens.

Prior stories claimed that the Claret and Blue value the talented ace at around £50m, but it remains to be seen if he’ll be available for less in the coming months.

It wouldn’t be a simple transfer to get over the line, but it’s one well worth pursuing, especially as he could be Arsenal’s new Smith Rowe.

Why Ramsey could be Arsenal’s new Smith Rowe

So, before we get into some of the other reasons why Arsenal should look to sign Ramsey this summer, why could he be looked at as a ‘new’ Smith Rowe?

Well, there are a few surface-level similarities between the two, such as the fact they’re both English, around the same age, already have considerable experience playing in the Premier League, and are right-footed.

However, perhaps the most significant similarity is in their positional versatility and play style.

During his time at the Emirates, the Fulham star was often either played in the middle of the park as an attacking midfielder or out on the left, in a front three or deeper in left-midfield.

So far in his career, it’s been a similar story for the Birmingham-born ace, as he’s often played either in the middle of the park, in left-midfield, or out on the left of a front three.

It’s this ability to play the role of an attacking midfielder and a winger which makes the two Englishmen so similar, and what could see the “sensational” Villa ace, as dubbed by journalist Seb Stafford-Bloor, become such a useful player for Arteta in North London.

On top of his similarities to the Cottager ace, the 23-year-old star – who scored for Villa in a 3-1 defeat at the Emirates back in 2021 – also has some impressive underlying numbers to his name.

For example, FBref places him in the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe’s top five leagues for successful take-on %, the top 3% for pass completion, the top 10% for shots blocked, the top 13% for goal-creating actions from live passes and more, all per 90.

Ultimately, while the fee might be a little on the high side, adding Ramsey to the squad would undoubtedly strengthen Arsenal ahead of next season, and who knows, he might just become their new Smith Rowe.

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