Arteta Suggests Emile Smith Rowe's Arsenal Exit After Bournemouth Friendly Absence

Mikel Arteta has suggested that Emile Smith Rowe is close to leaving Arsenal. The midfielder was not included in their pre-season friendly against Bournemouth on Thursday. Arsenal needed penalties to overcome Andoni Iraola's team in Los Angeles, with Fabio Vieira's goal being equalised by Antoine Semenyo's deflected shot.

Smith Rowe, who has played 115 times for Arsenal, was expected to participate at Dignity Health Sports Park but stayed on the bench throughout. He is reportedly set to join Fulham for £35 million, according to David Ornstein. Fulham are looking for a new midfielder after Joao Palhinha moved to Bayern Munich earlier this month for a reported £47.4 million.

Arteta commented on Smith Rowe's absence, saying, "There are things happening in the background at the moment and we decided the best thing to do was keep him away from the game today." This move would be significant for both clubs, with Fulham breaking their transfer record of £25 million paid for Jean Michael Seri in 2018 and Arsenal matching their biggest sale since Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's £35 million transfer to Liverpool.

More players are expected to leave Arsenal before their Premier League opener against Wolves. Eddie Nketiah and Reiss Nelson are likely candidates for transfers. Nketiah, who captained the team against Bournemouth, has been linked with Marseille. Meanwhile, newly-promoted Leicester is interested in Nelson.

Arteta addressed the speculation around player movements: "A lot of players have been linked with potential moves; one way or the other, it's normal," he said. "We are in that moment in the market. What I really like are the players that we have, with the level that they are showing and especially the commitment that you can see in those two, just the way they have performed."

The Gunners' pre-season preparations continue as they gear up for their first Premier League match of the season. Fans will be watching closely to see how these potential transfers unfold and what impact they will have on the squad.

90 minutes in the tank and a shoot-out win in California pic.twitter.com/YhgfURggoJ

@Arsenal July 25, 2024

The upcoming weeks will be crucial for Arsenal as they finalise their squad ahead of a challenging season. The potential departures could significantly alter their team dynamics and strategy.