Emile Smith Rowe is yet to feature for Arsenal this season (Picture: Getty)
Mikel Arteta has confirmed Emile Smith Rowe will remain an Arsenal player beyond the end of the summer transfer window.
The Hale End Academy graduate has endured a difficult 12 months during which he underwent groin surgery that effectively ruined any hopes he had of making an impact on his side’s title challenge.
Smith Rowe returned to full fitness in the summer and played a key role in helping England Under-21s triumph at the European Championships and hoped to force his way back into Arteta’s plans.
The 23-year-old has, however, failed to make a single appearance so far this term and appears be to be behind the likes of Kai Havertz and Fabio Vieira in his manager’s pecking order.
Reports earlier this week claimed Chelsea were carefully monitoring his situation but Arteta remains adamant that the versatile forward remains a key part of his first teams squad.
Emile Smith Rowe has been linked with a transfer to Chelsea (Picture: Getty)
‘Yes!’ said Arteta when asked if Smith Rowe would still be an Arsenal player come Friday’s 11.00pm transfer deadline.
‘The role (for him is) like everybody else does to try his best to make the team better.
‘Obviously I had conversations with him and it’s important for him to understand where he is.
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‘It was always going to be tricky the first three or four weeks.
‘Not just for us, but for all of the clubs where you see all the rumours and all the players who are not playing, they are unhappy not just in this country but in every country.
‘We have just one game per week for a month.
‘Everyone comes to the new season with huge aspirations and there are not minutes for everybody and September will be very different.’
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