Summary Mikel Arteta's squad overhaul at Arsenal focused on youth, with Emile Smith Rowe emerging as a top talent. Smith Rowe's career trajectory has been marred by injuries, leading to a decline in his market value. Despite struggles to secure a starting spot, Smith Rowe's potential and comparison to Bergkamp remain significant.
The rise of Arsenal under Mikel Arteta has simply been fantastic to watch, especially in regards to his complete squad overhaul.
When the Spaniard arrived, the squad was full of different profiles, with opposite strengths, and of all ages.
However, the boss was always keen to hand the youth an opportunity to thrive if they were deemed good enough, as proven by Bukayo Saka starting at left-back against Bournemouth in Arteta’s first game in charge.
That said, there was one young prospect who sat on the bench during that 1-1 draw but slowly started to become one of the most exciting talents at the Gunners.
Emile Smith Rowe’s first impression
Having been at Arsenal since the age of nine, Emile Smith Rowe progressed through the ranks to become one of the finest Hale End Academy products in recent years.
After returning on loan from Huddersfield Town in the Championship in 2020, Smith Rowe finally got his major breakthrough in the Arsenal first team under Arteta, where he would go on to play 20 times in the Premier League, scoring twice and picking up four assists.
The hype surrounding the then-number 32 was immense, with the young, versatile attacker stepping up during a season when the Gunners finished eighth.
After establishing himself as an important player in the first half of the season, even pundits were getting slightly carried away with their praise for the youngster, with former player Colin Omogbehin stating:
"He's like Dennis Bergkamp but with pace."
To be compared to such an Arsenal icon who played in a similar role, scoring 120 goals and providing 103 assists in 422 matches for the Gunners.
The "quality" Smith Rowe, as per journalist Phil McNulty, really started to thrive in the 2021/22 campaign with ten Premier League goals, having been handed the iconic number ten shirt in the summer. Upon being given the number, the 23-year-old even referenced the Iceman:
"When I was younger I used to watch Dennis Bergkamp, and when I was going through the academy Mesut Ozil was here as well and getting the opportunity to train with him and play with him as well was unbelievable. I just want to keep working hard and hopefully I can play like them and replicate what they've done."
But unfortunately, his career has not exactly gone according to plan since that initial breakthrough, and comparison to the Dutch magician.
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There’s no two ways about it; injuries have simply ruined Smith Rowe's progression and development in recent times, with the last two years being particularly difficult for the midfielder.
Last season, the former RB Leipzig loanee only played a total of 241 minutes across all competitions, having had groin surgery, which kept him out for 14 matches.
Unfortunately, setbacks have decreased his time on the pitch once again this season, playing 357 minutes and missing ten games already due to a knee injury, and an ankle knock.
The lack of matches played and the ever-increasing injury history record have caused Smith Rowe’s value to decrease significantly, to the point where he is one of the lowest-valued first-team players in the Arsenal squad at £13m, according to CIES’ Football Observatory.
Cedric Soares
£4m
Mohamed Elneny
£4m
Reiss Nelson
£8.5m
Smith Rowe
£13m
Thomas Partey
£13m
With Arsenal now not opting for a system that utilises a number-ten role and the team performing so well, Smith Rowe has found it difficult to work his way into the starting lineup.
It’s upsetting to see a young talent who was so impressive that he was once compared to Bergkamp suffer so much, and it sadly seems that his playing career will only truly revive if he leaves his boyhood club.
Hopefully, however, there is another twist in the story and Smith Rowe can get back to his best under Arteta before a move away from The Emirates is needed.